By: Moncrief S.B. No. 601 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to the creation of a municipal court technology fund. 1-2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-3 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 102, Code of Criminal 1-4 Procedure, is amended by adding Article 102.0172 to read as 1-5 follows: 1-6 Art. 102.0172. COURT COSTS; MUNICIPAL COURT TECHNOLOGY FUND. 1-7 (a) The governing body of a municipality by ordinance may create a 1-8 municipal court technology fund and may require a defendant 1-9 convicted of a misdemeanor offense in a municipal court or 1-10 municipal court of record to pay a technology fee not to exceed $6 1-11 as a cost of court. 1-12 (b) In this article, a person is convicted if: 1-13 (1) a sentence is imposed on the person; 1-14 (2) the person receives probation or deferred 1-15 adjudication; or 1-16 (3) the court defers final disposition of the person's 1-17 case. 1-18 (c) The municipal court clerk shall collect the cost of 1-19 court provided by this article and pay the funds collected to the 1-20 municipal treasurer, or to any other official who discharges the 1-21 duty commonly delegated to the municipal treasurer, for deposit in 1-22 a fund to be known as the municipal court technology fund. 1-23 (d) The municipal court technology fund authorized by this 1-24 article may be used only to finance the purchase of technological 2-1 enhancements for a municipal court or municipal court of record, 2-2 including but not limited to: 2-3 (1) computer systems; 2-4 (2) computer networks; 2-5 (3) computer hardware; 2-6 (4) computer software; 2-7 (5) imaging systems; 2-8 (6) electronic kiosks; 2-9 (7) electronic ticket writers; and 2-10 (8) docket management systems. 2-11 (e) The municipal court technology fund shall be 2-12 administered by or under the direction of the governing body of the 2-13 municipality. 2-14 (f) This article expires September 1, 2005. 2-15 SECTION 2. (a) The change in law made by this Act applies 2-16 only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this 2-17 Act. For purposes of this section, an offense is committed before 2-18 the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurs 2-19 before the effective date. 2-20 (b) An offense committed before the effective date of this 2-21 Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed, 2-22 and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. 2-23 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 2-24 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 2-25 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-26 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-1 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-2 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.