AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
The 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, passed S.B. 1419. That bill sought to facilitate the use of juvenile case managers in diverting juveniles from the criminal justice system. It did this by imposing a $2 court cost on convictions in municipal and justice courts, with collections from the court cost deposited into a new General Revenue account. Money in the new account was to be appropriated to the criminal justice division of the Office of the Governor for distribution to local governments for truancy prevention and intervention services. Cities and counties were to keep 50 percent of the proceeds to pay for establishing or operating a juvenile case manager program.
The fund created by S.B. 1419, however, was not specifically exempted from H.B. 6 (funds consolidation) during the 83rd session. Accordingly, all revenue associated with S.B. 1419 was deposited to General Revenue Funds.
To give effect to the original intent of S.B. 1419 (83rd), this bill recreates the truancy prevention and diversion fund and rededicates revenue from the court cost established last session to the fund.
As proposed, S.B. 1925 amends current law relating to the dedication of revenue received from certain court costs to the truancy prevention and diversion fund.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Reenacts Articles 102.015(a) and (g), Code of Criminal Procedure, as added by Chapter 1213 (S.B. 1419), Acts of the 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, as follows:
(a) Provides that the truancy prevention and diversion fund is a dedicated account in the general revenue fund.
(b) Requires the comptroller of public accounts of the State of Texas (comptroller) to deposit the funds received under this article to the credit of a dedicated account in the general revenue fund to be known as the truancy prevention and diversion fund. Authorizes the legislature to appropriate money from the account only to the criminal justice division of the Office of the Governor for distribution to local governmental entities for truancy prevention and intervention services.
SECTION 2. Provides that, notwithstanding Chapter 839 (H.B. 6), Acts of the 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, money dedicated by Article 102.015(g), Code of Criminal Procedure, as added by Chapter 1213 (S.B. 1419), Acts of the 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, to the truancy prevention and diversion fund established by Article 102.015 (Court Costs: Truancy Prevention and Diversion Fund), Code of Criminal Procedure, is rededicated by this Act.
SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2015.