1-1           By:  Lindsay                                     S.B. No. 655

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed February 18, 1997; February 24, 1997,

 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Intergovernmental

 1-4     Relations; March 6, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:

 1-5     Yeas 10, Nays 0; March 6, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to the payment of fees and other charges to counties by

 1-9     credit card.

1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-11           SECTION 1.  Subsection (a), Section 132.002, Local Government

1-12     Code, is amended to read as follows:

1-13           (a)  The commissioners court of a county may authorize a

1-14     county or precinct officer who collects fees, fines, court costs,

1-15     or other charges to[:]

1-16                 [(1)]  accept payment by credit card of a fee, fine,

1-17     court cost, or other charge.  The commissioners court also may

1-18     authorize a county or precinct officer to [; and]

1-19                 [(2)]  collect a fee for processing the payment by

1-20     credit card.

1-21           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-22     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-23     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-24     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-25     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-26     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-27     passage, and it is so enacted.

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