BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 483

By: Pierson

Criminal Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current law does not explicitly authorize courts to require a defendant to pay an administrative fee for performing community service in lieu of serving a term of confinement in county jail. This legislation is needed for the recovery of costs associated with monitoring, coordination, administration, and record keeping regarding a defendant ordered to perform community service in lieu of confinement.

H.B. 483 allows for the discretion of a court that administers a community service program to set an administrative fee that will adequately aid recovery of the program's cost.

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. 483 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to authorize a court that requires a defendant to perform community service to order the defendant to pay to the court an administrative fee, not to exceed $50, to cover the cost of administering the community service program.

H.B. 483 amends the Government Code to require a defendant to pay to a court an administrative fee not to exceed $50 to perform community service in lieu of serving a term of confinement in a county jail, if ordered by the court.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2009.