By Hunter of Taylor                                   H.B. No. 2509
       74R6599 DRH-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to allowing municipalities and counties to enter into
    1-3  contracts for the collection of certain court costs and fines.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Article 103.0031, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
    1-6  amended to read as follows:
    1-7        Art. 103.0031.  COLLECTION CONTRACTS.  The commissioners
    1-8  court of a county or the governing body of a municipality may enter
    1-9  into a contract with a public or private vendor to:
   1-10              (1)  contact persons with outstanding court cases; and
   1-11              (2)  coordinate payments and provide for the <provision
   1-12  of> collection of <services for> fines, fees, restitution, and
   1-13  other costs ordered to be paid by a court serving the county or
   1-14  municipality.
   1-15        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-16  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-17  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-18  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-19  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   1-20  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   1-21  passage, and it is so enacted.