By Pickett, Hinojosa                                  H.B. No. 2725
         Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2725:
         By Hinojosa                                       C.S.H.B. No. 2725
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the collection of costs in criminal cases.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Article 103.003, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
 1-5     amended by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
 1-6           (c)  This article does not limit the authority of a county to
 1-7     contract with a public or private vendor for the provision of
 1-8     collection services under Article 103.0031.
 1-9           SECTION 2.  Article 103.0031, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
1-10     amended to read as follows:
1-11           Art. 103.0031.  COLLECTION CONTRACTS.  (a)  The commissioners
1-12     court of a county may enter into a contract with a public or
1-13     private vendor for the provision of collection services for debts
1-14     and accounts receivable such as fines, fees, restitution, bond
1-15     forfeitures, and other debts or costs ordered to be paid by a court
1-16     serving the county.
1-17           (b)  A commissioners court that enters into a contract under
1-18     this article with a private attorney may authorize the collection
1-19     of attorneys fees on each debt or account receivable referred to
1-20     the attorney for collection, in an amount not to exceed 33 percent
1-21     of the account or debt.
1-22           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-23     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-24     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-1     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-2     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
 2-3     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
 2-4     passage, and it is so enacted.