HBA-NMO H.B. 1923 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1923
By: Yarbrough
Criminal Jurisprudence
3/31/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current law requires a person convicted of certain violations in a school
zone or passing a school bus to pay as court costs $25 in addition to other
taxable court costs.  The court directs this payment to a child safety fund
in the court's respective municipality.  However, the law further requires
that this cost be assessed only in a municipality with a population of
400,000 or more.  This population cap may hinder smaller municipalities in
developing child safety programs.  H.B. 1923 removes the population cap
regarding municipalities that may assess court costs for a child safety
fund.     

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Article 102.014(c), Code of Criminal Procedure, to
delete the provision that requires that additional court costs under this
subsection be assessed only in a municipality with a population of 400,000
or more.  This subsection requires a person convicted of certain violations
in a school zone or passing a school bus to pay as court costs $25 in
addition to other taxable court costs. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.
            Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.