By:  Armbrister                                       S.B. No. 1377
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the authority of the state auditor to review the use of
 1-3     money collected as court costs.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 403, Government Code, is
 1-6     amended by adding Section 403.0145 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 403.0145.  REVIEW AND OVERSIGHT OF FUNDS AND ACCOUNTS
 1-8     RECEIVING COURT COSTS.  (a)  Each fiscal biennium the state auditor
 1-9     shall review each fund and account into which money collected as a
1-10     court cost is directed by law to be deposited to determine whether:
1-11                 (1)  the money is being used for the purpose for which
1-12     it is collected; and
1-13                 (2)  the amount of the court cost imposed is
1-14     appropriate, considering the purpose for which the court cost is
1-15     collected.
1-16           (b)  Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year,
1-17     the state auditor shall make the findings from the review for the
1-18     previous fiscal biennium available to the public and shall send a
1-19     report of the state auditor's findings to the governor, the
1-20     lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives,
1-21     the chief justice of the supreme court, and the presiding judge of
1-22     the court of criminal appeals.  The findings may include
1-23     recommendations for legislation or changes to policies.
1-24           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-25           (b)  The first report required under Section 403.0145,
 2-1     Government Code, as added by this Act, is due December 1, 2002.