By:  Gonzalez Toureilles, Herrero                                 H.B. No. 1418
 
    (Senate Sponsor - Hinojosa)                                              
	(In the Senate - Received from the House April 27, 2005; 
April 29, 2005, read first time and referred to Committee on 
Jurisprudence; May 5, 2005, reported favorably by the following 
vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 5, 2005, sent to printer.)


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT


relating to the justice court technology fund and to requiring the 
assessment of a technology fee on conviction of certain misdemeanor 
offenses.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Articles 102.0173(a) and (d), Code of Criminal 
Procedure, are amended to read as follows:
	(a)  The commissioners court of a county by order shall [may] 
create a justice court technology fund.  A defendant convicted of a 
misdemeanor offense in justice court shall pay a $4 justice court 
technology fee as a cost of court for deposit in the fund [and may 
require a defendant convicted of a misdemeanor offense in a justice 
court to pay a technology fee not to exceed $4 as a cost of court].
	(d)  A fund designated by this article may be used only to 
finance:   
		(1)  the cost of continuing education and training for 
justice court judges and clerks regarding technological 
enhancements for justice courts; and
		(2)   the purchase and maintenance of technological 
enhancements for a justice court, including:
			(A) [(1)]  computer systems;                         
			(B) [(2)]  computer networks;                        
			(C) [(3)]  computer hardware;                        
			(D) [(4)]  computer software;                        
			(E) [(5)]  imaging systems;                          
			(F) [(6)]  electronic kiosks;                        
			(G) [(7)]  electronic ticket writers; and            
			(H) [(8)]  docket management systems.                
	SECTION 2.  Section 102.101, Government Code, is amended to 
read as follows: 
	Sec. 102.101.  ADDITIONAL COURT COSTS ON CONVICTION IN 
JUSTICE COURT.  A clerk of a justice court shall collect fees and 
costs on conviction of a defendant as follows:
		(1)  a jury fee (Art. 102.004, Code of Criminal 
Procedure) . . . $3;        
		(2)  a fee for withdrawing request for jury less than 24 
hours before time of trial (Art. 102.004, Code of Criminal 
Procedure) . . . $3;
		(3)  a jury fee for two or more defendants tried jointly 
(Art. 102.004, Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . one jury fee of 
$3;
		(4)  a security fee on a misdemeanor offense (Art. 
102.017, Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . $3;
		(5)  a fee for technology fund on a misdemeanor offense 
(Art. 102.0173, Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . [not to exceed] 
$4; and
		(6)  a court cost on conviction in Comal County (Sec. 
152.0522, Human Resources Code) . . . $1.50.
	SECTION 3.  Article 102.0173(f), Code of Criminal Procedure, 
is repealed.    
	SECTION 4.  The change in law made by this Act applies only 
to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.  
An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is 
governed by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and 
the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.  For 
purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the 
effective date of this Act if any element of the offense was 
committed before that date.
	SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.                           



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