By Thompson                                           H.B. No. 3498
         77R5340 GWK-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to improving the collection of costs, fees, and fines in
 1-3     criminal cases.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Chapter 103, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
 1-6     amended by adding Article 103.0032 to read as follows:
 1-7           Art. 103.0032.  COLLECTION IMPROVEMENT PLANS. (a)  Not later
 1-8     than January 1 of each even-numbered year, the commissioners court
 1-9     of each county shall file a collection improvement plan with the
1-10     Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System.  The
1-11     plan must show the methods by which the county intends to improve
1-12     the collection of court costs, fees, and fines imposed in criminal
1-13     cases in the courts of the county.
1-14           (b)  Not later  than January 1 of each even-numbered year,
1-15     the governing body of each municipality shall file a collection
1-16     improvement plan with the Office of Court Administration of the
1-17     Texas Judicial System.  The plan must show  the methods by which
1-18     the municipality intends to improve the collection of court costs,
1-19     fees, and fines imposed in criminal cases in the municipal court
1-20     and municipal courts of record of the municipality.
1-21           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-22           SECTION 3. Each commissioners court and each governing body
1-23     of a municipality must file the first  collection improvement plan
1-24     required by Article 103.0032, Code of Criminal Procedure, as added
 2-1     by this Act, not later than January 1, 2002.
 2-2                          COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1
 2-3           Amend H.B. 3498, on page 1, by striking lines 8-20, and
 2-4     inserting the following:
 2-5     than January 1 of each even numbered year, the Office of Court
 2-6     Administration may award grants to counties and municipalities to
 2-7     prepare a collection plan.  The grants shall reimburse the county
 2-8     or municipality for the cost of preparing the plan.  The plan shall
 2-9     provide methods to improve the collection of court costs, fees and
2-10     fines imposed in criminal cases.  The Office of Court
2-11     Administration may require that the county or municipality
2-12     reimburse the state from the additional collections as a condition
2-13     of the grant.
2-14                                                                Thompson