| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to a defendant's payment of the costs of legal services |
|
|
provided by court-appointed counsel in a criminal case. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Article 26.05(g), Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
|
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(g) If the court determines that a defendant has financial |
|
|
resources that enable him to offset in part or in whole the costs of |
|
|
the legal services provided, including any expenses and costs, the |
|
|
court shall order the defendant to pay [during the pendency of the
|
|
|
charges or, if convicted, as court costs] the amount that it finds |
|
|
the defendant is able to pay. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act applies to a criminal proceeding that |
|
|
commences on or after the effective date of this Act. A criminal |
|
|
proceeding that commenced before the effective date of this Act is |
|
|
governed by the law in effect at the time the proceeding commenced, |
|
|
and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |