By: Carona S.B. No. 125

(In the Senate - Filed November 29, 2006; February 14, 2007, read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security; March 12, 2007, reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; March 12, 2007, sent to printer.)

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 125 By: Carona

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a civil or administrative penalty imposed by a local authority to enforce compliance with a traffic-control signal.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 542, Transportation Code, is amended by adding Sections 542.405 and 542.406 to read as follows:

Sec. 542.405. AMOUNT OF CIVIL PENALTY; LATE PAYMENT PENALTY. If a local authority enacts an ordinance to enforce compliance with the instructions of a traffic-control signal by the imposition of a civil or administrative penalty, the amount of:

(1) the civil or administrative penalty may not exceed $75; and

(2) a late payment penalty may not exceed $25.

Sec. 542.406. DEPOSIT OF REVENUE FROM CERTAIN TRAFFIC PENALTIES. (a) In this section, "photographic traffic signal enforcement system" means a system that:

(1) consists of a camera system and vehicle sensor installed to exclusively work in conjunction with an electrically operated traffic-control signal;

(2) is capable of producing one or more recorded photographic or digital images that depict the license plate attached to the front or the rear of a motor vehicle that is not operated in compliance with the instructions of the traffic-control signal; and

(3) is designed to enforce compliance with the instructions of the traffic-control signal by imposition of a civil or administrative penalty against the owner of the motor vehicle.

(b) This section applies only to a civil or administrative penalty imposed on the owner of a motor vehicle by a local authority that operates or contracts for the operation of a photographic traffic signal enforcement system with respect to a highway under its jurisdiction or that operates or contracts for the operation of any other type of electronic traffic law enforcement system consisting of a camera system that automatically produces one or more recorded photographs or digital images of the license plate on a motor vehicle or the operator of a motor vehicle.

(c) Not later than the 60th day after the end of a local authority's fiscal year, after deducting amounts the local authority is authorized by Subsection (d) to retain, the local authority shall:

(1) send 50 percent of the revenue derived from civil or administrative penalties collected by the local authority under this section to the comptroller for deposit to the credit of the trauma service area regional advisory council account established under Section 780.007, Health and Safety Code; and

(2) deposit the remainder of the revenue in a special account in the local authority's treasury that may be used only to fund traffic safety programs, including pedestrian safety programs, public safety programs, intersection improvements, and traffic enforcement.

(d) A local authority may retain an amount necessary to cover the costs of:

(1) purchasing or leasing equipment that is part of or used in connection with the photographic traffic signal enforcement system in the local authority;

(2) installing the photographic traffic signal enforcement system at sites in the local authority, including the costs of installing cameras, flashes, computer equipment, loop sensors, detectors, utility lines, data lines, poles and mounts, networking equipment, and associated labor costs;

(3) operating the photographic traffic signal enforcement system in the local authority, including the costs of creating, distributing, and delivering violation notices, review of violations conducted by employees of the local authority, the processing of fine payments and collections, and the costs associated with administrative adjudications and appeals; and

(4) maintaining the general upkeep and functioning of the photographic traffic signal enforcement system.

(e) Chapter 133, Local Government Code, applies to fee revenue described by Subsection (c)(1).

(f) If under Section 133.059, Local Government Code, the comptroller conducts an audit of a local authority and determines that the local authority retained more than the amounts authorized by this section or failed to deposit amounts as required by this section, the comptroller may impose a penalty on the local authority equal to twice the amount the local authority:

(1) retained in excess of the amount authorized by this section; or

(2) failed to deposit as required by this section.

SECTION 2. Section 133.004, Local Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 133.004. CIVIL FEES. This chapter applies to the following civil fees:

(1) the consolidated fee on filing in district court imposed under Section 133.151;

(2) the filing fee in district court for basic civil legal services for indigents imposed under Section 133.152;

(3) the filing fee in courts other than district court for basic civil legal services for indigents imposed under Section 133.153;

(4) the filing fees for the judicial fund imposed in certain statutory county courts under Section 51.702, Government Code;

(5) the filing fees for the judicial fund imposed in certain county courts under Section 51.703, Government Code;

(6) the filing fees for the judicial fund imposed in certain statutory probate courts under Section 51.704, Government Code;

(7) fees collected under Section 118.015;

(8) marriage license fees for the family trust fund collected under Section 118.018;

(9) marriage license or declaration of informal marriage fees for the child abuse and neglect prevention trust fund account collected under Section 118.022; [and]

(10) the filing fee for the judicial fund imposed in district court, statutory county court, and county court under Section 133.154; and

(11) the portion of the civil or administrative penalty described by Section 542.405(1), Transportation Code, imposed by a local authority to enforce compliance with the instructions of a traffic-control signal.

SECTION 3. Chapter 780, Health and Safety Code, is amended by adding Section 780.007 to read as follows:

Sec. 780.007. TRAUMA SERVICE AREA REGIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL ACCOUNT. (a) The trauma service area regional advisory council account is created as a dedicated account in the general revenue fund of the state treasury. Money in the account may be appropriated only to the Health and Human Services Commission to make distributions to trauma service area regional advisory councils in proportion to the amount deposited to the account from local authorities served by each trauma service area regional advisory council.

(b) The account is composed of money deposited to the credit of the account under Section 542.406, Transportation Code, and the earnings of the account.

(c) Sections 403.095 and 404.071, Government Code, do not apply to the account.

SECTION 4. Section 542.406, Transportation Code, as added by this Act, and Section 780.007, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act, apply to revenue received by a local authority unit of this state from the imposition of a civil or administrative penalty on or after the effective date of this Act, regardless of whether the penalty was imposed before, on, or after the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 5. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this section, this Act takes effect September 1, 2007.

(b) This Act takes effect only if Senate Bill No. 1119, Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, is enacted and becomes law.

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