By:  Ellis, Ratliff                                    S.B. No. 229
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                       AN ACT
 1-1     relating to the collection of certain fines, court costs, and
 1-2     restitution in criminal cases.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 51.921, Government Code, is amended by
 1-5     amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (f) to read as
 1-6     follows:
 1-7           (a)  In addition to other fees authorized or required by law,
 1-8     the clerk of each district court, statutory county court, county
 1-9     court [at law], justice court, and municipal court shall collect a
1-10     fee of $25 from a person who:
1-11                 (1)  has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor; and
1-12                 (2)  pays any part of a [has been ordered to pay a
1-13     fine, court costs, or restitution by the court; and]
1-14                 [(3)  seeks to pay the] fine, court costs, or
1-15     restitution on or after the 31st day after the date on which a
1-16     judgment is entered assessing the fine, court costs, or restitution
1-17     [over a period of time rather than immediately].
1-18           (f)  The comptroller may audit the records of a county or
1-19     municipality relating to fees collected under this section.
1-20           SECTION 2.  (a)  Except as provided by Section 3 of this Act,
1-21     this Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-22           (b)  Section 51.921, Government Code, as amended by this Act,
1-23     applies only to an offense committed on or after September 1, 1999.
1-24     An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is
 2-1     covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and
 2-2     the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
 2-3           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect only if a specific
 2-4     appropriation for the implementation of this Act is provided in
 2-5     H.B. No. 1 (General Appropriations Act), Acts of the 76th
 2-6     Legislature, Regular Session, 1999.  If no specific appropriation
 2-7     is provided in H.B. No. 1, the General Appropriations Act, this Act
 2-8     has no effect.
 2-9           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-10     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-11     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-12     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-13     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.