82R19926 KEL-F
 
  By: Turner H.B. No. 1985
 
  Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1985:
 
  By:  Jackson C.S.H.B. No. 1985
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the collection of criminal and civil court costs, fees,
  and fines by a municipality or county.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Articles 103.0033(a) and (d), Code of Criminal
  Procedure, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  In this article:
               (1)  "Eligible case" means a criminal case in which the
  judgment has been entered by a trial court. The term does not
  include a criminal case in which a defendant has been placed on
  deferred disposition or has elected to take a driving safety
  course.
               (2)  "Office" means the Office of Court Administration
  of the Texas Judicial System.
               (3) [(2)]  "Program" means the program to improve the
  collection of court costs, fees, and fines imposed in criminal
  cases, as developed and implemented under this article.
         (d)  The program must consist of:
               (1)  a component that conforms with a model developed
  by the office and designed to improve in-house collections for
  eligible cases through the application of best practices; and
               (2)  a component designed to improve the collection of
  balances for eligible cases more than 60 days past due, which may be
  implemented by entering into a contract with a private attorney or
  public or private vendor in accordance with Article 103.0031.
         SECTION 2.  Section 133.058(e), Local Government Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (e)  A municipality or county may not retain a service fee
  if, during an audit under Section 133.059 of this code or Article
  103.0033(j), Code of Criminal Procedure, the comptroller
  determines that the municipality or county is not in compliance
  with Article 103.0033, Code of Criminal Procedure, and if the
  municipality or county is unable to reestablish compliance on or
  before the 180th day after the date the municipality or county
  receives written notice of noncompliance from the comptroller.
  After any period in which the municipality or county becomes unable
  to retain a service fee under this subsection, the [The]
  municipality or county may begin once more [continue] to retain the
  [a service] fee only [under this section] on receipt of a written
  confirmation from the comptroller that the municipality or county
  is in compliance with Article 103.0033, Code of Criminal Procedure.
         SECTION 3.  Section 133.103(c-1), Local Government Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (c-1)  The treasurer shall send 100 percent of the fees
  collected under this section to the comptroller if, during an audit
  under Section 133.059 of this code or Article 103.0033(j), Code of
  Criminal Procedure, the comptroller determines that the
  municipality or county is not in compliance with Article 103.0033,
  Code of Criminal Procedure, and if the municipality or county is
  unable to reestablish compliance on or before the 180th day after
  the date the municipality or county receives written notice of
  noncompliance from the comptroller.  After any period in which the
  treasurer is required under this subsection to send 100 percent of
  the fees collected under this section to the comptroller, the [.  
  The] municipality or county shall begin once more [continue] to
  dispose of fees as otherwise provided by this section only on
  receipt of a written confirmation from the comptroller that the
  municipality or county is in compliance with Article 103.0033, Code
  of Criminal Procedure.
         SECTION 4.  The change in law made by this Act in amending
  Sections 133.058(e) and 133.103(c-1), Local Government Code,
  applies only to an audit commenced by the comptroller on or after
  the effective date of this Act. An audit commenced by the
  comptroller before the effective date of this Act is governed by the
  law in effect when the audit was commenced, and the former law is
  continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 5.  The change in law made by this Act in amending
  Article 103.0033, Code of Criminal Procedure, applies only to a
  court cost, fee, or fine imposed in a criminal case on or after the
  effective date of this Act. A court cost, fee, or fine imposed in a
  criminal case before the effective date of this Act is governed by
  the law in effect on the date the cost, fee, or fine was imposed, and
  the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.