By Madla S.B. No. 1215 75R8990 MWV-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to personal bond offices and certain fees collected by 1-3 personal bond offices. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Article 17.03, Code of Criminal Procedure, is 1-6 amended by adding Subsections (h) and (i) to read as follows: 1-7 (h) A defendant who is released on personal bond shall: 1-8 (1) report to the personal bond office each week as 1-9 directed by the personal bond office; and 1-10 (2) pay $5 each week to the personal bond office. 1-11 (i) Fees collected as provided by Subsection (h) of this 1-12 article shall be used to pay expenses of the personal bond office. 1-13 SECTION 2. Article 17.04, Code of Criminal Procedure, is 1-14 amended to read as follows: 1-15 Art. 17.04. REQUISITES OF A PERSONAL BOND. A personal bond 1-16 is sufficient if it includes the requisites of a bail bond as set 1-17 out in Article 17.08, except that no sureties are required. In 1-18 addition, a personal bond shall contain: 1-19 (1) the defendant's name, address, and place of 1-20 employment; 1-21 (2) identification information, including the 1-22 defendant's: 1-23 (A) date and place of birth; 1-24 (B) height, weight, and color of hair and eyes; 2-1 (C) driver's license number and state of 2-2 issuance, if any; and 2-3 (D) nearest relative's name and address, if any; 2-4 and 2-5 (3) the following oath sworn and signed by the 2-6 defendant: 2-7 "I swear that I will appear before (the court or magistrate) 2-8 at (address, city, county) Texas, on the (date), at the hour of 2-9 (time, a.m. or p.m.) or upon notice by the court, or pay to the 2-10 court the principal sum of (amount) plus all necessary and 2-11 reasonable expenses incurred in any arrest for failure to appear. 2-12 "I further swear that I will report to the personal bond 2-13 office as directed each week during the time that I am subject to 2-14 the bond. I will pay a supervisory fee of $5 each week at the 2-15 time I report to the personal bond office." 2-16 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and 2-17 applies to a defendant released on personal bond on or after that 2-18 date. A defendant released on personal bond before the effective 2-19 date of this Act is governed by the law in effect when the 2-20 defendant was released on the bond, and that law is continued in 2-21 effect for that purpose. 2-22 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 2-23 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-24 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-25 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-26 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.