By Goodman                                            H.B. No. 1623
         Line and page numbers may not match official copy.
         Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the creation of a municipal court technology fund.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 102, Code of Criminal
 1-5     Procedure, is amended by adding Article 102.0172 to read as
 1-6     follows:
 1-7           Art. 102.0172.  COURT COSTS; MUNICIPAL COURT TECHNOLOGY FUND.
 1-8     (a)  The governing body of a municipality by ordinance may create a
 1-9     municipal court technology fund and may require a defendant
1-10     convicted of a misdemeanor offense in a municipal court or
1-11     municipal court of record to pay a technology fee not to exceed $10
1-12     as a cost of court.
1-13           (b)  In this article, a person is convicted if:
1-14                 (1)  a sentence is imposed on the person;
1-15                 (2)  the person receives probation or deferred
1-16     adjudication; or
1-17                 (3)  the court defers final disposition of the person's
1-18     case.
1-19           (c)  The municipal court clerk shall collect the cost of
1-20     court provided by this section and pay the funds collected to the
1-21     municipal treasurer, or to any other official who discharges the
 2-1     duty commonly delegated to the municipal treasurer, for deposit in
 2-2     a fund to be known as the municipal court technology fund.
 2-3           (d)  The municipal court technology fund authorized by this
 2-4     section may be used only to finance the purchase of technological
 2-5     enhancements for a municipal court or municipal court of record,
 2-6     including but not limited to:
 2-7                 (1)  computer systems;
 2-8                 (2)  computer networks;
 2-9                 (3)  computer hardware;
2-10                 (4)  computer software;
2-11                 (5)  imaging systems;
2-12                 (6)  electronic kiosks;
2-13                 (7)  electronic ticket writers; and
2-14                 (8)  docket management systems.
2-15           (e)  The municipal court technology fund shall be
2-16     administered by or under the direction of the governing body of the
2-17     municipality.
2-18           SECTION 2.  (a)  The change in the law made by this Act
2-19     applies only to an offense committed on or after the effective date
2-20     of this Act.  For purposes of this section, an offense is committed
2-21     before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense
2-22     occurs before the effective date.
2-23           (b)  An offense committed before the effective date of this
2-24     Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
2-25     and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
 3-1           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
 3-2           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
 3-3     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 3-4     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 3-5     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 3-6     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.