| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the payment of certain fines and costs by a defendant. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Article 42.15, Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
|
|
amended by adding Subsection (a-2) and amending Subsection (b) to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
(a-2) When imposing fines and costs, a court may not require |
|
|
a defendant to pay more than five percent of the defendant's monthly |
|
|
income to satisfy the fines and costs, without the agreement of the |
|
|
defendant. |
|
|
(b) Subject to Subsections (a-2), (c), and (d) and Article |
|
|
43.091, when imposing fines [a fine] and costs, a court may direct a |
|
|
defendant: |
|
|
(1) to pay the entire amount of fines [fine] and costs |
|
|
when sentence is pronounced; |
|
|
(2) to pay the entire amount of fines [fine] and costs |
|
|
at some later date; or |
|
|
(3) to pay a specified portion of the fines [fine] and |
|
|
costs at designated intervals. |
|
|
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies to a |
|
|
defendant who is sentenced for an offense on or after the effective |
|
|
date of this Act, regardless of whether the offense is committed |
|
|
before, on, or after that date. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |