By Dunnam                                             H.B. No. 2917
         76R4272 JMC-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the collection of a time payment fee in certain courts
 1-3     and to the requirement that the Office of Court Administration of
 1-4     the Texas Judicial System develop guidelines for spending certain
 1-5     funds.
 1-6           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-7           SECTION 1.  Section 51.921, Government Code, is amended by
 1-8     amending Subsections (a)  and (c) and adding Subsection (f) to read
 1-9     as follows:
1-10           (a)  In addition to other fees authorized or required by law,
1-11     the clerk of each district court, statutory county court, county
1-12     court at law, justice court, and municipal court shall collect a
1-13     fee of $25 from a person who:
1-14                 (1)  has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor
1-15     other than an offense under Subtitle C, Title 7, Transportation
1-16     Code, or Chapter 729 of that code punishable by fine only;
1-17                 (2)  has been ordered to pay a fine, court costs, or
1-18     restitution by the court; and
1-19                 (3)  seeks to pay the fine, court costs, or restitution
1-20     over a period of time that ends after the 30th day after the date
1-21     the person is ordered  to pay the fine, costs, or restitution
1-22     [rather than immediately].
1-23           (c)  The custodian of the county or municipal treasury, as
1-24     appropriate, shall keep a record of the amount of money on deposit
 2-1     collected under this section and shall send 50 percent of the fees
 2-2     collected under this section to the comptroller at least as
 2-3     frequently as quarterly [monthly].  The comptroller shall deposit
 2-4     the fees  received to the credit of the general revenue fund.
 2-5           (f)  The Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial
 2-6     System shall develop guidelines for spending funds deposited under
 2-7     Subsection (d)  for the purpose of improving the efficiency of the
 2-8     administration of justice in a county or municipality.
 2-9           SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
2-10     to a person ordered to pay a fine, court costs, or restitution on
2-11     or after the  effective date of this Act.
2-12           SECTION 3.  The Office of Court Administration of the Texas
2-13     Judicial System shall develop the guidelines required by Section
2-14     51.921(f), Government Code, as added by this Act, not later than
2-15     January 1, 2000.
2-16           SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-17           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-18     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-19     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-20     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-21     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.