AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Under current law, a municipality with a population of 1.9 million or more has the option of agreeing with another municipality to extend the geographical jurisdiction of their municipal courts to include fine-only offenses occurring on their city boundaries or up to 200 yards from their boundaries. Currently, only the city of Houston and its surrounding communities benefit from this law.
S.B. 631 changes the population reference in the law from 1.9 million to 1.325 million, enabling the City of San Antonio, San Antonio Police Department, and abutting agencies to work alongside each other in enforcing traffic laws in the San Antonio area's heavily trafficked boundary streets. This in turn gives law enforcement the ability to reallocate valuable resources to other areas in need. Cities are always looking for ways to better align resources, and this change gives San Antonio and its contiguous municipalities that option.
S.B. 631 amends current law relating to the authority of certain contiguous municipalities to agree to extend municipal court jurisdiction.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Article 4.14(f), Code of Criminal Procedure, to authorize a municipality with a population of 1.19 million or more, rather than 1.9 million or more, and another municipality contiguous to that municipality to enter into an agreement providing concurrent jurisdiction for the municipal courts of either jurisdiction for all criminal cases arising from offenses under state law that are committed on the boundary of those municipalities or within 200 yards of that boundary and punishable by fine only.
SECTION 2. Amends Section 29.003(h), Government Code, to make a conforming change.
SECTION 3. Makes application of this Act prospective.
SECTION 4. Effective date: Upon passage or September 1, 2015.