By Menendez                                           H.B. No. 2343
         77R5712 PAM-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to authorizing certain populous counties to recover
 1-3     certain transaction fees for fines and other charges paid by credit
 1-4     card.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1. Section 132.003, Local Government Code, is amended
 1-7     by adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:
 1-8           (d)  In addition to the fee set under Subsection (a), the
 1-9     commissioners court of a county with a population of one million or
1-10     more may authorize a county or precinct officer to collect on
1-11     behalf of the county from a person making payment by credit card an
1-12     amount equal to the amount of any transaction fee charged to the
1-13     county by a vendor providing services in connection with payments
1-14     made by credit card.  The limitation prescribed by Subsection (a)
1-15     on the amount of a fee does not apply to a fee collected under this
1-16     subsection.
1-17           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
1-18     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
1-19     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
1-20     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
1-21     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.