By:  West, B.                                         H.B. No. 1746
       73R5945 GWK-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the discharge of fines and costs by a defendant
    1-3  convicted in a municipal court.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Article 43.09, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
    1-6  amended by adding Subsection (m) to read as follows:
    1-7        (m)  Fines and costs imposed by a municipal court, regardless
    1-8  of whether the court is a court of record, may be discharged in the
    1-9  manner provided by this article.  A community supervision and
   1-10  corrections department may provide the administrative duties and
   1-11  other services necessary for the placement in programs under this
   1-12  article for a defendant convicted in a municipal court, regardless
   1-13  of whether the municipal court is a court of record.
   1-14        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-15  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-16  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-17  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-18  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   1-19  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   1-20  passage, and it is so enacted.