1-1 By: Moncrief S.B. No. 601 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed February 18, 1999; February 22, 1999, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Intergovernmental 1-4 Relations; April 12, 1999, reported adversely, with favorable 1-5 Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 4, Nays 0; 1-6 April 12, 1999, sent to printer.) 1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 601 By: Moncrief 1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-9 AN ACT 1-10 relating to the creation of a municipal court technology fund. 1-11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-12 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 102, Code of Criminal 1-13 Procedure, is amended by adding Article 102.0172 to read as 1-14 follows: 1-15 Art. 102.0172. COURT COSTS; MUNICIPAL COURT TECHNOLOGY FUND. 1-16 (a) The governing body of a municipality by ordinance may create a 1-17 municipal court technology fund and may require a defendant 1-18 convicted of a misdemeanor offense in a municipal court or 1-19 municipal court of record to pay a technology fee not to exceed $6 1-20 as a cost of court. 1-21 (b) In this article, a person is convicted if: 1-22 (1) a sentence is imposed on the person; 1-23 (2) the person receives probation or deferred 1-24 adjudication; or 1-25 (3) the court defers final disposition of the person's 1-26 case. 1-27 (c) The municipal court clerk shall collect the cost of 1-28 court provided by this article and pay the funds collected to the 1-29 municipal treasurer, or to any other official who discharges the 1-30 duty commonly delegated to the municipal treasurer, for deposit in 1-31 a fund to be known as the municipal court technology fund. 1-32 (d) The municipal court technology fund authorized by this 1-33 article may be used only to finance the purchase of technological 1-34 enhancements for a municipal court or municipal court of record, 1-35 including but not limited to: 1-36 (1) computer systems; 1-37 (2) computer networks; 1-38 (3) computer hardware; 1-39 (4) computer software; 1-40 (5) imaging systems; 1-41 (6) electronic kiosks; 1-42 (7) electronic ticket writers; and 1-43 (8) docket management systems. 1-44 (e) The municipal court technology fund shall be 1-45 administered by or under the direction of the governing body of the 1-46 municipality. 1-47 (f) This article expires September 1, 2005. 1-48 SECTION 2. (a) The change in the law made by this Act 1-49 applies only to an offense committed on or after the effective date 1-50 of this Act. For purposes of this section, an offense is committed 1-51 before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense 1-52 occurs before the effective date. 1-53 (b) An offense committed before the effective date of this 1-54 Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed, 1-55 and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. 1-56 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 1-57 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 1-58 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-59 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-60 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-61 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-62 * * * * *