81R8836 SJM-F
By: Corte H.B. No. 1421
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.