By Ellis                                               S.B. No. 229
         76R1346 DB-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the collection of certain fines, court costs, and
 1-3     restitution in criminal cases.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 51.921, Government Code, is amended by
 1-6     amending Subsections (a), (c), and (d) and adding Subsection (f) to
 1-7     read as follows:
 1-8           (a)  In addition to other fees authorized or required by law,
 1-9     the clerk of each district court, statutory county court, statutory
1-10     probate court, county court [at law], justice court, and municipal
1-11     court shall collect a fee of $25 from a person:
1-12                 (1)  who:
1-13                       (A) [(1)]  has been convicted of a felony or
1-14     misdemeanor;
1-15                       (B) [(2)]  has been ordered to pay a fine, court
1-16     costs, or restitution by the court; and
1-17                       (C) [(3)]  seeks to pay any part of the fine,
1-18     court costs, or restitution  on or after the 31st day after the
1-19     date on which the fine, court  costs, or restitution has been
1-20     ordered by the court; or
1-21                 (2)  in whose case the court has deferred final
1-22     disposition until a later date [over a period of time rather than
1-23     immediately].
1-24           (c)  The custodian of the county or municipal treasury, as
 2-1     appropriate, shall keep a record of the amount of money on deposit
 2-2     collected under this section and shall send 50 percent of the fees
 2-3     collected under this section to the comptroller at least as
 2-4     frequently as quarterly [monthly].  The comptroller shall deposit
 2-5     the fees received  to the credit of the general revenue fund.
 2-6           (d)  The custodian of the county or municipal treasury, as
 2-7     appropriate, shall deposit 10 percent of the fees collected under
 2-8     this section in the general fund of the county or municipality for
 2-9     the purpose of improving the efficiency of the administration of
2-10     justice in the county or municipality.  The Office of Court
2-11     Administration shall develop guidelines for the expenditure of fees
2-12     under this subsection.  The county or municipality  shall give
2-13     priority to [prioritize] the needs of the judicial officer who
2-14     collected the fees when making expenditures under this subsection.
2-15           (f)  The judge of a district court, statutory county court,
2-16     statutory probate court, county court, justice court, or municipal
2-17     court may order a consolidation of any fines, court costs, or
2-18     restitution assessed from separate cases by that court against a
2-19     single defendant.  If a judge issues an order under this
2-20     subsection, the clerk may not assess more than one fee under this
2-21     section for those fines, court costs, or restitution.
2-22           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-23           (b)  Section 51.921, Government Code, as amended by this Act,
2-24     applies only to an offense committed on or after September 1, 1999.
2-25     An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is
2-26     covered by the law in effect when the  offense was committed, and
2-27     the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
 3-1           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
 3-2     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 3-3     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 3-4     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 3-5     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.