BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2952

By: Eiland

Criminal Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Some municipal police officers in Texas patrol state highways in neighboring counties. When a member of a municipal police department issues a ticket for an overweight tractor trailer, the individual responsible for the ticket is required to settle the ticket in the county in which the police officer serves, rather than in the county in which the ticket is issued. Neighboring counties might share a small portion of a city, but the issuance of tickets and fines by municipal police from the county other than the county in which the majority of the city is located causes the county in which the majority of the city is located to lose revenue.

H.B. 2952 makes the state law concerning the venue for the prosecution and punishment of certain offenses committed on the boundaries of two or more counties inapplicable to an offense concerning vehicle size and weight.

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. 2952 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to make the state law concerning the venue for the prosecution and punishment of certain offenses committed on the boundaries of two or more counties or within 400 yards of those boundaries inapplicable to an offense concerning vehicle size and weight.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2009.