By Jones of Lubbock                                   H.B. No. 1857
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to a plea of guilty or nolo contendere in certain
    1-3  misdemeanor offenses.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Art. 27.14, Section (c), Code of Criminal
    1-6  Procedure, is amended to read as follows:
    1-7        (c)  In a misdemeanor case <arising out of a moving traffic
    1-8  violation> for which the maximum possible punishment is by fine
    1-9  only, payment of a fine, or an amount accepted by the court
   1-10  constitutes a finding of guilty in open court, as though a plea of
   1-11  nolo contendere had been entered by the defendant.
   1-12        (d)  If written notice of a <traffic> violation for which
   1-13  maximum possible punishment is by fine only or of a violation
   1-14  relating to the manner, time, and place of parking has been
   1-15  prepared, delivered, and filed with the court and a legible
   1-16  duplicate copy has been given to the defendant, the duplicate copy
   1-17  serves as a complaint to which the defendant may plead "guilty,"
   1-18  "not guilty," or "nolo contendere."  If the defendant pleads "not
   1-19  guilty" to the offense, a complaint shall be filed that conforms to
   1-20  the requirements of Article 45.01, Code of Criminal Procedure,
   1-21  1965, and that complaint serves as an original complaint.  A
   1-22  defendant may waive the filing of a sworn complaint and elect that
   1-23  the prosecution proceed on the written notice of the charged
    2-1  offense if the defendant agrees in writing with the prosecution,
    2-2  signs the agreement, and files it with the court.
    2-3        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993, and
    2-4  applies only to misdemeanors occurring on or after that date.
    2-5        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-6  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-7  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-8  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-9  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.