By Hilbert H.B. No. 1078
75R4186 PAM-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the payment of fees and other charges to certain
1-3 counties by credit card.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 132.002, Local Government Code, is
1-6 amended to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 132.002. PAYMENT OF FEES OR COSTS BY CREDIT CARD. (a)
1-8 The commissioners court of a county with a population of less than
1-9 2.8 million may authorize a county or precinct officer who
1-10 collects fees, fines, court costs, or other charges to:
1-11 (1) accept payment by credit card of a fee, fine,
1-12 court cost, or other charge; and
1-13 (2) collect a fee for processing the payment by credit
1-14 card.
1-15 (b) The commissioners court of a county with a population of
1-16 2.8 million or more may authorize a county or precinct officer who
1-17 collects fees, fines, court costs, or other charges to accept
1-18 payment by credit card of a fee, fine, court cost, or other charge.
1-19 (c) The governing body of a municipality may authorize a
1-20 municipal official who collects fees, fines, court costs, or other
1-21 charges to:
1-22 (1) accept payment by credit card of a fee, fine,
1-23 court cost, or other charge; and
1-24 (2) collect a fee for processing the payment by credit
2-1 card.
2-2 SECTION 2. Section 132.003(a), Local Government Code, is
2-3 amended to read as follows:
2-4 (a) A [The] commissioners court authorized to collect a fee
2-5 for processing a payment by credit card shall set the processing
2-6 fee in an amount that is reasonably related to the expense incurred
2-7 by the county or precinct officer in processing the payment by
2-8 credit card. However, the court may not set the processing fee in
2-9 an amount that exceeds five percent of the amount of the fee, court
2-10 cost, or other charge being paid.
2-11 SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only
2-12 to payments made by credit card on or after the effective date of
2-13 this Act. Payments made by credit card before the effective date
2-14 of this Act are governed by the law in effect when the payments
2-15 were made, and the former law is continued in effect for that
2-16 purpose.
2-17 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
2-18 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-19 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-20 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-21 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.