By Campbell H.B. No. 2535 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the authority of a community supervision and 1-3 corrections department, a commissioners court, or the pardons and 1-4 paroles division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to 1-5 enter into contracts for certain supervision or telecommunications 1-6 services. 1-7 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-8 SECTION 1. Article 42.131, Code of Criminal Procedure, is 1-9 amended by adding Section 12 to read as follows: 1-10 Sec. 12. REPORTING AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES. A department 1-11 may enter into a contract with a public or private vendor for the 1-12 provision of telephone reporting, automated caseload management, 1-13 and collection services for fines, fees, restitution, and other 1-14 costs ordered to be paid by a court or fees imposed by a 1-15 department. 1-16 SECTION 2. Article 42.18, Code of Criminal Procedure, is 1-17 amended by adding Section 28 to read as follows: 1-18 Sec. 28. REPORTING AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES. The pardons and 1-19 paroles division, with the approval of the Texas Board of Criminal 1-20 Justice, may enter into a contract with a public or private vendor 1-21 for the provision of telephone reporting, automated caseload 1-22 management, and collection services for fines, fees, restitution, 1-23 and other costs ordered to be paid by a court or fees imposed by 1-24 the division. 2-1 SECTION 3. Chapter 103, Code of Criminal Procedure, is 2-2 amended by adding Article 103.0031 to read as follows: 2-3 Art. 103.0031. COLLECTION CONTRACTS. The commissioners 2-4 court of a county may enter into a contract with a public or 2-5 private vendor for the provision of collection services for fines, 2-6 fees, restitution, and other costs ordered to be paid by a court 2-7 serving the county. 2-8 SECTION 4. Article XIII, Public Utility Regulatory Act 2-9 (Article 1446c, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by 2-10 adding Section 93C to read as follows: 2-11 Sec. 93C. (a) A telecommunications utility that transports 2-12 or provides a "1-900" service under a contract authorized by 2-13 Article 42.131 or 42.18, Code of Criminal Procedure, and its 2-14 subsequent amendments that is used by a defendant under the 2-15 supervision of a community supervision and corrections department 2-16 or the pardons and paroles division of the Texas Department of 2-17 Criminal Justice to pay a fee or cost or to comply with telephone 2-18 reporting requirements may adjust or authorize the adjustment of an 2-19 end-user's bill for those fees or costs or charges for reporting 2-20 only with the consent of the contracting community supervision and 2-21 corrections department or the contracting pardons and paroles 2-22 division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. 2-23 (b) This section applies only to an intrastate "1-900" 2-24 service. 2-25 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the 2-26 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-27 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-1 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-2 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 3-3 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 3-4 passage, and it is so enacted.