BILL ANALYSIS
By: Haggerty
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
To finance security personnel for a district, county, justice, or municipal court, as appropriate, or to finance items when used for the purpose of providing security services
H.B. 3549 would increase the security fees which have not changed since 1993, which would enable counties to cover more of the cost of providing courthouse security. For example: Courthouse Security fees in El Paso County generate approximately $325,953 annually which equates to 51.80 percent of the current courthouse security operating costs of $629,140.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
H.B. 3549 increases the security fee that a defendant convicted of a felony offense in a district court shall pay from $5 to $10 as a cost of court. It also increases the security fee that a defendant convicted of a misdemeanor offense in a justice court shall pay from $4 to $8 as a cost of court and increases the security fee that the clerk of a district court shall collect as an additional security fee on a felony offense from $5 to $10 as costs on conviction of a defendant. Finally, the bill increases the security fee that a clerk of a justice court shall collect as an additional security fee on a misdemeanor offense from $3 to $8 as costs on conviction of a defendant.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2007.