By Giddings                                     H.B. No. 1357

      75R3304 DRH-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the recovery of costs incurred when certain driving

 1-3     violations are dismissed.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 521.025, Transportation Code, is amended

 1-6     by adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:

 1-7           (f)  If the person charged produces a license described by

 1-8     Subsection (d), the court shall dismiss the charge.  The judge may

 1-9     assess the defendant an administrative fee not to exceed $10 when a

1-10     charge is dismissed under this subsection.

1-11           SECTION 2.  Section 601.193, Transportation Code, is amended

1-12     by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:

1-13           (c)  The judge may assess the defendant an administrative fee

1-14     not to exceed $10 when a charge is dismissed under Subsection (b).

1-15           SECTION 3.  The change in law made by this Act applies only

1-16     to  the dismissal of a charge for an offense committed on or after

1-17     the effective date of this Act.  An offense committed before the

1-18     effective date of this Act is covered by the law in effect when the

1-19     offense was committed, and the former law is continued in effect

1-20     for that purpose.  For purposes of this section, an offense was

1-21     committed before the effective date of this Act if any element of

1-22     the offense occurred before that date.

1-23           SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-24           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-1     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-2     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-3     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-4     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.