81R3226 SJM-D
 
  By: Wentworth S.B. No. 446
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the use of certain court costs in a criminal case for
  municipal programs enhancing public safety and security.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Article 102.014(g), Code of Criminal Procedure,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (g)  In a municipality with a population less than 850,000
  according to the most recent federal decennial census, the money
  collected under this article in a municipal court case must be used
  for a school crossing guard program if the municipality operates
  one. If the municipality does not operate a school crossing guard
  program or if the money received from court costs from municipal
  court cases exceeds the amount necessary to fund the school
  crossing guard program, the municipality may:
               (1) [either]  deposit the additional money in an
  interest-bearing account;
               (2) [or]  expend the additional money [it] for programs
  designed to enhance child safety, health, or nutrition, including
  child abuse prevention and intervention and drug and alcohol abuse
  prevention; or
               (3)  expend the additional money for programs designed
  to enhance public safety and security.
         SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to a violation or an offense committed on or after the effective
  date of this Act. A violation or an offense committed before the
  effective date of this Act is covered by the law in effect when the
  violation or offense was committed, and the former law is continued
  in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this section, a
  violation or an offense was committed before the effective date of
  this Act if any element of the violation or offense occurred before
  that date.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2009.