|
House Bill 2151 |
House Author: Bohac et al. |
|
Effective: 9-1-07 |
Senate Sponsor: Ellis |
House Bill 2151 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Family Code to establish procedures for restitution to be made to a person or political subdivision who is the victim of a graffiti offense. The bill authorizes a court or juvenile court to order a convicted defendant or adjudicated child to make restitution to a person who is the victim of a graffiti offense by paying a certain amount specified by law or by personally restoring the property by removing or painting over any markings the defendant or child made. The bill also requires restitution paid to a political subdivision to be equal to the lesser of a certain amount specified by law or the cost to the political subdivision of restoring any damaged public property, street sign, or official traffic-control device. The bill authorizes a court to order a convicted defendant or adjudicated child who is financially unable to make restitution to perform a specific number of hours of community service, including service restoring the property by removing or painting over any markings the defendant or child made, to satisfy the restitution.
House Bill 2151 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Government Code to rename the graffiti eradication fee as the juvenile delinquency prevention and graffiti eradication fee and increase from $5 to $50 the court cost required to be paid by a defendant on conviction in a district court, statutory county court, or county court, or by a child adjudicated in a juvenile court. The bill amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to expand the use of the fund in which the juvenile delinquency prevention and graffiti eradication fees are deposited to include providing printed educational materials for distribution to primary and secondary school students.