SRC-TAG H.B. 418 78(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.B. 418
78R1707 JRJ-DBy: Martinez Fischer (Lindsay)
Criminal Justice
5/22/2003
Engrossed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

The 77th Texas Legislature increased the penalty for offenses relating to
the improper use of child safety belts. It also intended to require a city
or county to send to the state comptroller half of the fines collected for
these violations, for deposit into the state's tertiary care fund for
trauma centers. However, a technical error in the statute resulted in the
requirement that a city or county submit half of the fines collected for
all safety belt violations. H.B.  418 requires that a city or county send
to the state comptroller half of the fines collected for child safety belt
violations 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to
a state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section  545.413(j), Transportation Code, to require a
municipality or a county, at the end of the municipality's or county's
fiscal year, notwithstanding Section 542.402(a), to send to the
comptroller of public accounts (comptroller)  an amount equal to 50
percent of the fines collected by the municipality or the county for
violations of Subsection (b) of this section.  Requires the comptroller to
deposit the amount received to the credit of the tertiary care fund for
use by trauma centers. 

SECTION 2.   Effective date: September 1, 2003.
             Makes application of this prospective.