H.B. No. 2535
    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.