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.