By Horn H.B. No. 555 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the payment of certain expenses by a bail bondsman. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Article 17.08, Code of Criminal Procedure, is 1-5 amended to read as follows: 1-6 Art. 17.08. REQUISITES OF A BAIL BOND. A bail bond shall be 1-7 sufficient if it contain the following requisites: 1-8 1. That it be made payable to "The State of Texas"; 1-9 2. That the defendant and his sureties, if any, bind 1-10 themselves that the defendant will appear before the proper court 1-11 or magistrate to answer the accusation against him; 1-12 3. If the defendant is charged with a felony, that it 1-13 state that he is charged with a felony. If the defendant is 1-14 charged with a misdemeanor, that it state the he is charged with a 1-15 misdemeanor; 1-16 4. That the bond he is signed by name or mark by the 1-17 principal and sureties, if any, each of whom shall write thereon 1-18 his mailing address; 1-19 5. That the bond state the time and place, when and 1-20 where the accused binds himself to appear, and the court or 1-21 magistrate before whom he is to appear. The bond shall also bind 1-22 the defendant to appear before any court or magistrate before whom 1-23 the cause may thereafter be pending at any time when, and place 2-1 where, his presence may be required under this Code or by any court 2-2 or magistrate; 2-3 6. The bond shall also be conditioned that the 2-4 principal and sureties, if an;y, will pay all necessary and 2-5 reasonable expenses incurred by any and all sheriffs or other peace 2-6 officers in rearresting the principal in the event he fails to 2-7 appear before the court or magistrate named in the bond at the time 2-8 stated therein. The expenses must be paid not later than the 30th 2-9 day after the date the expenses are incurred. The amount of such 2-10 expense shall be in addition to the principal amount specified in 2-11 the bond. The failure of any bail bond to contain the conditions 2-12 specified in this paragraph shall in no manner affect the legality 2-13 of any such bond, but it is intended that the sheriff or other 2-14 peace officer shall look to the defendant and his sureties, if any, 2-15 for expenses incurred by him, and not to the State for any fees 2-16 earned by him in connection with the rearresting of an accused who 2-17 has violated the conditions of his bond. 2-18 SECTION 2. Article 17.11, Code of Criminal Procedure, is 2-19 amended by adding Section 3 to read as follows: Sec. 3. A person 2-20 who signs as surety on a bail bond and who fails to pay the 2-21 necessary and reasonable expenses incurred by a peace officer under 2-22 Subdivision 6, Article 17.08, in rearresting a person for whom the 2-23 bondsman issued the bond shall be considered to be in default on 2-24 the bond for the purposes of Section 2 until payment of the 2-25 expenses owed by the bondsman. 3-1 SECTION 3. Section 9, Chapter 550, Acts of the 63rd 3-2 Legislature, Regular Session, 1973 (Article 2372p-3, Vernon's Texas 3-3 Civil Statutes), is amended by adding Subsection (c) to read as 3-4 follows: 3-5 (c) The board shall, after notice and hearing, suspend the 3-6 license of a bondsman who fails to pay the necessary and reasonable 3-7 expenses incurred by a peace officer under Subdivision 6, Article 3-8 17.08, Code of Criminal Procedure, in rearresting a person for whom 3-9 the bondsman issued a bond. The board may reinstate a license 3-10 suspended under this subsection on payment of the expenses owed by 3-11 the bondsman. 3-12 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995, and 3-13 applies only to a bail bond executed on or after that date. A bail 3-14 bond executed before that date is governed by the law in effect at 3-15 the time the bond was executed, and the former law is continued in 3-16 effect for that purpose. 3-17 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the 3-18 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-19 emergency and imperative public necessity that the constitutional 3-20 rule requiring bills to be read on three several days in each house 3-21 suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.