This website will be unavailable from Friday, April 26, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. through Monday, April 29, 2024 at 7:00 a.m. due to data center maintenance.

                                                                                

79R5539 BDH-F

By:  Herrero                                                      H.B. No. 1576



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:                
		(1)  [may] create a justice court technology fund; and
		(2)  [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 available technological 
enhancements for justice courts; and
		(2)  the purchase 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 102.081, Government Code, is amended to 
read as follows: 
	Sec. 102.081.  ADDITIONAL COURT COSTS ON CONVICTION IN 
COUNTY COURT.  The clerk of a county court shall collect fees and 
costs on conviction of a defendant as follows:
		(1)  a jury fee (Art. 102.004, Code of Criminal 
Procedure) . . . $20;       
		(2)  a fee for clerk of the court services (Art. 
102.005, Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . $40;
		(3)  a records management and preservation services fee 
(Art. 102.005, Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . $20;
		(4)  a security fee on a misdemeanor offense (Art. 
102.017, Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . $3; [and]
		(5)  a graffiti eradication fee (Art. 102.0171, Code of 
Criminal Procedure) . . . $5; and
		(6)  a technology fee (Art. 102.0173, Code of Criminal 
Procedure) . . . $4.
	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.