76R13261 JMC-D By Moncrief S.B. No. 601 Substitute the following for S.B. No. 601: By Thompson C.S.S.B. No. 601 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the authority of the governing body of a municipality 1-3 to create a municipal court technology fund and to require certain 1-4 defendants to pay court costs for deposit in the fund. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 102, Code of Criminal 1-7 Procedure, is amended by adding Article 102.0172 to read as 1-8 follows: 1-9 Art. 102.0172. COURT COSTS; MUNICIPAL COURT TECHNOLOGY FUND. 1-10 (a) The governing body of a municipality by ordinance may create a 1-11 municipal court technology fund and may require a defendant 1-12 convicted of a misdemeanor offense in a municipal court or 1-13 municipal court of record to pay a technology fee not to exceed $4 1-14 as a cost of court. 1-15 (b) In this article, a person is considered convicted if: 1-16 (1) a sentence is imposed on the person; 1-17 (2) the person is placed on community supervision, 1-18 including deferred adjudication community supervision; or 1-19 (3) the court defers final disposition of the person's 1-20 case. 1-21 (c) The municipal court clerk shall collect the costs and 1-22 pay the funds to the municipal treasurer, or to any other official 1-23 who discharges the duties commonly delegated to the municipal 1-24 treasurer, for deposit in a fund to be known as the municipal court 2-1 technology fund. 2-2 (d) A fund designated by this article may be used only to 2-3 finance the purchase of technological enhancements for a municipal 2-4 court or municipal court of record, including: 2-5 (1) computer systems; 2-6 (2) computer networks; 2-7 (3) computer hardware; 2-8 (4) computer software; 2-9 (5) imaging systems; 2-10 (6) electronic kiosks; 2-11 (7) electronic ticket writers; and 2-12 (8) docket management systems. 2-13 (e) The municipal court technology fund shall be 2-14 administered by or under the direction of the governing body of the 2-15 municipality. 2-16 (f) This article expires September 1, 2005. 2-17 SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only 2-18 to a cost on conviction for an offense committed on or after the 2-19 effective date of this Act. A cost on conviction for an offense 2-20 committed before the effective date of this Act is covered by the 2-21 law in effect when the offense was committed, and the former law is 2-22 continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this 2-23 section, an offense was committed before the effective date of this 2-24 Act if any element of the offense occurred before that date. 2-25 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 2-26 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 2-27 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-1 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-2 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-3 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.