67-4-601 - Rights of local governments preserved Amount of tax Liability Application Scott County pilot project.
67-4-601. Rights of local governments preserved Amount of tax Liability Application Scott County pilot project.
(a) It is the expressed intent of the general assembly that counties and municipalities shall continue to have the authority to levy a local litigation tax and that no provision of Acts 1981, ch. 488 shall be construed to limit or repeal such authority.
(b) (1) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, each county by resolution of its legislative body, adopted by two-thirds (2/3) majority vote, may levy a privilege tax on litigation in all civil and criminal cases instituted in the county, other than those instituted in municipal courts, in addition to all other such privilege taxes authorized by law. Any tax levy adopted under this subsection (b) shall not exceed ten dollars ($10.00) per case; and the proceeds shall be used exclusively for the purposes of jail or workhouse construction, reconstruction or upgrading, or to retire debt, including principal and interest and related expenses, on such construction, reconstruction or upgrading or for courthouse renovation.
(2) Any tax levy adopted under this subsection (b) shall only be effective until such time as all expenses of the construction, reconstruction, upgrading or renovation project have been paid, or until such time as the debt for such project has been retired. For the purposes of this subsection (b), debt includes principal, interest, origination costs and related expenses, as well as any debt issued for the purposes of refinancing the original indebtedness.
(3) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the state shall not be liable for or pay the tax levied under this subsection (b) in any civil or criminal case on behalf of any individual because such individual is indigent.
(4) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the provisions of this subsection (b) shall not apply to any publicly owned hospital in any county having a population of not less than seventy-three thousand six hundred (73,600) and not more than seventy-three thousand nine hundred (73,900), if the county commission for such county by majority vote provides that any such hospital shall be exempt. [Amended effective August 27, 2008. For application of this subdivision, see the Compilers Notes.]
(5) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, upon the adoption of a resolution by a two-thirds majority vote of a county legislative body, a privilege tax on litigation in all civil and criminal cases may be levied in an amount not to exceed twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per case. [Amended effective August 27, 2008. For application of this subdivision, see the Compilers Notes.]
(6) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, upon the adoption of a resolution by a two-thirds majority vote of a county legislative body, a privilege tax on litigation in all civil and criminal cases may be levied in an amount not to exceed twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per case, to be used exclusively for court house security, in addition to those purposes identified in subdivision (b)(1).
(7) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a county may adopt the privilege tax in subdivision (b)(5) or (b)(6), or both.
(8) Any legislative body that had adopted a resolution by a two-thirds (2/3) vote under subdivision (b)(5) or (b)(6) prior to August 27, 2008, shall not be required to adopt another resolution for this section to continue to apply in such county.
(9) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, in any county having a population of not less than sixteen thousand eight hundred (16,800) nor more than sixteen thousand nine hundred (16,900), according to the 2000 federal census or any subsequent federal census, upon the adoption of a resolution by two-thirds majority vote of the county legislative body, a privilege tax on litigation in all civil and criminal cases may be levied in an amount not to exceed twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per case to be used for equipment and personnel costs of the county sheriff's department or for those purposes identified in subdivision (b)(1).
(c) (1) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a pilot project concerning drug testing in public schools may be conducted in accordance with the provisions of this subsection (c).
(2) For the purposes of such pilot project, Scott County, or any municipality within such county, is authorized, by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of its legislative body, to levy an additional litigation tax per case, to be set by the county commission or municipal legislative body, as applicable, and to be denominated as part of the court costs, in matters before the local general sessions, juvenile, and municipal courts.
(3) Any revenue generated by Scott County, or a municipality within such county, pursuant to subdivision (c)(2), shall be used exclusively to support local nonprofit drug testing programs authorized to operate in the public school system, and shall be distributed on a monthly basis by the county or municipality to such authorized local nonprofit drug testing program.
(4) The taxes levied by the provisions of this subsection (c) shall be in addition to any other taxes levied on litigation.
(5) The department of education is authorized to request information from Scott County on the results of the pilot project, and to recommend to the general assembly, or other local education agency, any element of the pilot project which may have statewide applicability.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, any county having a population of not less than sixteen thousand six hundred (16,600) nor more than sixteen thousand seven hundred (16,700), according to the 2000 federal census or any subsequent federal census, may, by a two-thirds vote of its legislative body, levy an additional litigation tax of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) in all criminal cases instituted in the county. Such tax is in addition to all other such privilege taxes authorized by law. Any revenue collected pursuant to the provisions of this subsection (d) shall be deposited in the county general fund for the sole purpose of providing grants for services in support of physically and sexually abused children.
[Acts 1937, ch. 108, art. 2, § 2; C. Supp. 1950, § 1248.3 (Williams, § 1248.119); impl. am. Acts 1959, ch. 9, § 14; Acts 1981, ch. 488, § 7; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 67-4101; Acts 2000, ch. 886, §§ 1, 2; 2001, ch. 225, §§ 1, 2; 2004, ch. 861, § 1; 2004, ch. 945, § 1; 2006, ch. 958, §§ 1-15; 2007, ch. 146, §§ 1-3; 2008, ch. 692, §§ 1-3; 2008, ch. 870, §§ 1, 2; 2008, ch. 961, §§ 1, 2; 2008, ch. 1187, § 1.]