78R2114 AKH-D
By: Jones of Dallas H.B. No. 494
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to security fees in certain civil and criminal cases.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 291.008(a), Local Government Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(a) The commissioners court may set a fee not to exceed $10
[$5] to be collected at the time of filing in each civil case filed
in a county court, county court at law, or district court which
shall be taxed as other costs. The county is not liable for the
costs.
SECTION 2. Article 102.017(a), Code of Criminal Procedure,
is amended to read as follows:
(a) A defendant convicted of a felony offense in a district
court shall pay a $10 [$5] security fee as a cost of court.
SECTION 3. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.
(b) This Act applies only to a civil case filed on or after
the effective date of this Act.
(c) This Act applies in a criminal case only to a cost on
conviction for an offense committed on or after the effective date
of this Act. For purposes of this subsection, an offense is
committed before the effective date of this Act if any element of
the offense occurs before the effective date.
(d) A cost on conviction for an offense committed before the
effective date of this Act is covered by the law in effect when the
offense was committed, and the former law is continued in effect for
this purpose.