| 4 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 5 | 7 | | relating to the assistance and technology fund and use of money in |
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| 6 | 8 | | the fund. |
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| 7 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 8 | 10 | | SECTION 1. The heading to Article 102.0173, Code of |
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| 9 | 11 | | Criminal Procedure, is amended to read as follows: |
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| 10 | 12 | | Art. 102.0173. COURT COSTS; JUSTICE COURT ASSISTANCE AND |
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| 11 | 13 | | TECHNOLOGY FUND. |
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| 12 | 14 | | SECTION 2. Articles 102.0173(a), (c), (d), (e), and (f), |
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| 13 | 15 | | Code of Criminal Procedure, are amended to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 16 | | (a) The commissioners court of a county by order shall |
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| 15 | 17 | | create a justice court assistance and technology fund. A defendant |
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| 16 | 18 | | convicted of a misdemeanor offense in justice court shall pay a $4 |
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| 17 | 19 | | justice court assistance and technology fee as a cost of court for |
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| 18 | 20 | | deposit in the fund. |
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| 19 | 21 | | (c) The justice court clerk shall collect the costs and pay |
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| 20 | 22 | | the funds to the county treasurer, or to any other official who |
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| 21 | 23 | | discharges the duties commonly delegated to the county treasurer, |
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| 22 | 24 | | for deposit in a fund to be known as the justice court assistance |
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| 23 | 25 | | and technology fund. |
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| 24 | 26 | | (d) A fund designated by this article may be used only to |
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| 25 | 27 | | finance: |
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| 26 | 28 | | (1) the cost of providing court personnel, including |
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| 27 | 29 | | salaries and benefits for the court personnel; |
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| 28 | 30 | | (2) the cost of continuing education and training for |
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| 29 | 31 | | justice court judges and court personnel [clerks regarding |
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| 30 | 32 | | technological enhancements for justice courts]; and |
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| 31 | 33 | | (3) [(2)] the purchase and maintenance of |
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| 32 | 34 | | technological enhancements for a justice court, including: |
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| 33 | 35 | | (A) computer systems; |
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| 34 | 36 | | (B) computer networks; |
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| 35 | 37 | | (C) computer hardware; |
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| 36 | 38 | | (D) computer software; |
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| 37 | 39 | | (E) imaging systems; |
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| 38 | 40 | | (F) electronic kiosks; |
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| 39 | 41 | | (G) electronic ticket writers; and |
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| 40 | 42 | | (H) docket management systems. |
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| 41 | 43 | | (e) The justice court assistance and technology fund shall |
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| 42 | 44 | | be administered by or under the direction of the commissioners |
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| 43 | 45 | | court of the county. |
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| 44 | 46 | | (f) A justice court may, subject to the approval of the |
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| 45 | 47 | | commissioners court, use a fund designated by this article to |
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| 46 | 48 | | assist a constable's office or other county department with a |
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| 47 | 49 | | technological enhancement, or cost related to the enhancement, |
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| 48 | 50 | | described by Subsection (d)(3) [(d)(1) or (2)] if the enhancement |
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| 49 | 51 | | directly relates to the operation or efficiency of the justice |
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| 50 | 52 | | court. [This subsection applies only to a county that: |
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| 51 | 53 | | [(1) has a population of 125,000 or more; |
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| 52 | 54 | | [(2) is not adjacent to a county of two million or |
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| 53 | 55 | | more; |
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| 54 | 56 | | [(3) contains a portion of the Guadalupe River; and |
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| 55 | 57 | | [(4) contains a portion of Interstate Highway 10.] |
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| 56 | 58 | | SECTION 3. Section 102.101, Government Code, is amended to |
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| 57 | 59 | | read as follows: |
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| 58 | 60 | | Sec. 102.101. ADDITIONAL COURT COSTS ON CONVICTION IN |
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| 59 | 61 | | JUSTICE COURT: CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE. A clerk of a justice |
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| 60 | 62 | | court shall collect fees and costs under the Code of Criminal |
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| 61 | 63 | | Procedure on conviction of a defendant as follows: |
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| 62 | 64 | | (1) a jury fee (Art. 102.004, Code of Criminal |
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| 63 | 65 | | Procedure) . . . $3; |
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| 64 | 66 | | (2) a fee for withdrawing request for jury less than 24 |
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| 65 | 67 | | hours before time of trial (Art. 102.004, Code of Criminal |
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| 66 | 68 | | Procedure) . . . $3; |
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| 67 | 69 | | (3) a jury fee for two or more defendants tried jointly |
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| 68 | 70 | | (Art. 102.004, Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . one jury fee of $3; |
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| 69 | 71 | | (4) a security fee on a misdemeanor offense (Art. |
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| 70 | 72 | | 102.017, Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . $4; |
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| 71 | 73 | | (5) a fee for assistance and technology fund on a |
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| 72 | 74 | | misdemeanor offense (Art. 102.0173, Code of Criminal Procedure) |
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| 73 | 75 | | . . . $4; |
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| 74 | 76 | | (6) a juvenile case manager fee (Art. 102.0174, Code |
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| 75 | 77 | | of Criminal Procedure) . . . not to exceed $5 if the court employs a |
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| 76 | 78 | | juvenile case manager; |
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| 77 | 79 | | (7) a fee on conviction of certain offenses involving |
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| 78 | 80 | | issuing or passing a subsequently dishonored check or similar sight |
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| 79 | 81 | | order (Art. 102.0071, Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . not to |
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| 80 | 82 | | exceed $30; and |
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| 81 | 83 | | (8) a civil justice fee (Art. 102.022, Code of |
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| 82 | 84 | | Criminal Procedure) . . . $0.10. |
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| 83 | 85 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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