By:  Rangel, Canales, Garza (Senate Sponsor-Lucio)                H.B. No. 3377
	(In the Senate - Received from the House May 5, 2003; 
May 7, 2003, read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal 
Justice; May 13, 2003, reported favorably by the following vote:  
Yeas 4, Nays 0; May 13, 2003, sent to printer.)


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT


relating to the filing of a notice of seizure and intended 
forfeiture in an asset forfeiture case.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Article 59.05, Code of Criminal Procedure, is 
amended by adding Subsection (g) to read as follows:
	(g)  If property is seized at a federal checkpoint, the 
notice of seizure and intended forfeiture may be filed in and the 
proceeding may be held in:
		(1)  the county in which the seizure occurred; or                      
		(2)  with the consent of the owner, operator, or agent 
in charge of the property, a county that is adjacent to the county 
in which the seizure occurred, if both counties are in the same 
judicial district.
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.                           



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