1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the authority of the commissioners court of a county to
1-3 create a justice 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 102.0173 to read as
1-8 follows:
1-9 Art. 102.0173. COURT COSTS; JUSTICE COURT TECHNOLOGY FUND.
1-10 (a) The commissioners court of a county by order may create a
1-11 justice court technology fund and may require a defendant
1-12 convicted of a misdemeanor offense in a justice court to pay a
1-13 technology fee not to exceed $4 as a cost of court.
1-14 (b) In this article, a person is considered convicted if:
1-15 (1) a sentence is imposed on the person; or
1-16 (2) the court defers final disposition of the person's
1-17 case.
1-18 (c) The justice court clerk shall collect the costs and pay
1-19 the funds to the county treasurer, or to any other official who
1-20 discharges the duties commonly delegated to the county treasurer,
1-21 for deposit in a fund to be known as the justice court technology
1-22 fund.
1-23 (d) A fund designated by this article may be used only to
1-24 finance the purchase of technological enhancements for a justice
2-1 court, including:
2-2 (1) computer systems;
2-3 (2) computer networks;
2-4 (3) computer hardware;
2-5 (4) computer software;
2-6 (5) imaging systems;
2-7 (6) electronic kiosks;
2-8 (7) electronic ticket writers; and
2-9 (8) docket management systems.
2-10 (e) The justice court technology fund shall be administered
2-11 by or under the direction of the commissioners court of the county.
2-12 (f) This article expires September 1, 2005.
2-13 SECTION 2. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 2001, and
2-14 applies only to a cost on conviction for an offense committed on or
2-15 after that date and before September 1, 2005. A cost on conviction
2-16 for an offense committed before the effective date of this Act is
2-17 covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and
2-18 the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. A cost on
2-19 conviction for an offense committed before September 1, 2005, in
2-20 which the conviction is not entered until September 1, 2005, or
2-21 later is imposed in the same manner as if the conviction had been
2-22 entered before September 1, 2005, and notwithstanding Article
2-23 102.0173(f), Code of Criminal Procedure, as added by this Act, the
2-24 law is continued in effect for that purpose.
2-25 (b) For purposes of this section, an offense was committed
2-26 before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense
2-27 occurred before that date, and an offense is committed on or after
3-1 September 1, 2005, if any element of the offense occurs on or after
3-2 that date.
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 177 was passed by the House on March
29, 2001, by a non-record vote.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 177 was passed by the Senate on May
17, 2001, by a viva-voce vote.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: __________________________
Date
__________________________
Governor