By:  Brown                                             S.B. No. 576
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to the jurisdiction of justice courts in certain
    1-2  misdemeanor cases.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Article 4.11, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
    1-5  amended to read as follows:
    1-6        Art. 4.11.  JURISDICTION OF JUSTICE COURTS.  (a)  Justices of
    1-7  the peace shall have original jurisdiction in criminal misdemeanor
    1-8  cases that are:
    1-9              (1)  punishable by fine only;
   1-10              (2)  punishable as Class C misdemeanors under Section
   1-11  12.23, Penal Code; or
   1-12              (3)  punishable by fine and only such additional
   1-13  punishment as is described in Subsection (b) of this article.
   1-14        (b)  In this article, "additional punishment" means
   1-15  punishment that does not include confinement in jail but may
   1-16  provide other punishment, including but not limited to:
   1-17              (1)  a penalty assessed by the justice court, in
   1-18  addition to or in lieu of a fine, that is rehabilitative or
   1-19  remedial in nature, including but not limited to:
   1-20                    (A)  approved driving safety courses;
   1-21                    (B)  alcohol awareness courses;
   1-22                    (C)  cease and desist orders;
   1-23                    (D)  peace bonds;
    2-1                    (E)  drivers' license suspensions or revocations;
    2-2  or
    2-3                    (F)  penalties as otherwise provided by law; or
    2-4              (2)  penalties assessed by other entities or agencies,
    2-5  including but not limited to license suspensions or revocations
    2-6  <where the fine to be imposed by law may not exceed five hundred
    2-7  dollars>.
    2-8        SECTION 2.  Section 12.23, Penal Code, is amended to read as
    2-9  follows:
   2-10        Sec. 12.23.  CLASS C MISDEMEANOR.  An individual adjudged
   2-11  guilty of an offense classified as a Class C misdemeanor for which
   2-12  no other penalty is prescribed shall be punished by a fine not to
   2-13  exceed $500.
   2-14        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   2-15        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-16  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-17  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-18  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-19  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.