1-1 By: Luna (Senate Sponsor - Staples) H.B. No. 177 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 2, 2001; 1-3 April 3, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on 1-4 Intergovernmental Relations; May 2, 2001, reported favorably by the 1-5 following vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 2, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to the authority of the commissioners court of a county to 1-9 create a justice court technology fund and to require certain 1-10 defendants to pay court costs for deposit in the 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 102.0173 to read as 1-14 follows: 1-15 Art. 102.0173. COURT COSTS; JUSTICE COURT TECHNOLOGY FUND. 1-16 (a) The commissioners court of a county by order may create a 1-17 justice court technology fund and may require a defendant 1-18 convicted of a misdemeanor offense in a justice court to pay a 1-19 technology fee not to exceed $4 as a cost of court. 1-20 (b) In this article, a person is considered convicted if: 1-21 (1) a sentence is imposed on the person; or 1-22 (2) the court defers final disposition of the person's 1-23 case. 1-24 (c) The justice court clerk shall collect the costs and pay 1-25 the funds to the county treasurer, or to any other official who 1-26 discharges the duties commonly delegated to the county treasurer, 1-27 for deposit in a fund to be known as the justice court technology 1-28 fund. 1-29 (d) A fund designated by this article may be used only to 1-30 finance the purchase of technological enhancements for a justice 1-31 court, including: 1-32 (1) computer systems; 1-33 (2) computer networks; 1-34 (3) computer hardware; 1-35 (4) computer software; 1-36 (5) imaging systems; 1-37 (6) electronic kiosks; 1-38 (7) electronic ticket writers; and 1-39 (8) docket management systems. 1-40 (e) The justice court technology fund shall be administered 1-41 by or under the direction of the commissioners court of the county. 1-42 (f) This article expires September 1, 2005. 1-43 SECTION 2. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 2001, and 1-44 applies only to a cost on conviction for an offense committed on or 1-45 after that date and before September 1, 2005. A cost on conviction 1-46 for an offense committed before the effective date of this Act is 1-47 covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and 1-48 the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. A cost on 1-49 conviction for an offense committed before September 1, 2005, in 1-50 which the conviction is not entered until September 1, 2005, or 1-51 later is imposed in the same manner as if the conviction had been 1-52 entered before September 1, 2005, and notwithstanding Article 1-53 102.0173(f), Code of Criminal Procedure, as added by this Act, the 1-54 law is continued in effect for that purpose. 1-55 (b) For purposes of this section, an offense was committed 1-56 before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense 1-57 occurred before that date, and an offense is committed on or after 1-58 September 1, 2005, if any element of the offense occurs on or after 1-59 that date. 1-60 * * * * *