88R20159 MEW-F
 
  By: Bernal H.B. No. 303
 
  Substitute the following for H.B. No. 303:
 
  By:  Moody C.S.H.B. No. 303
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to a justice or municipal court's authority to order a
  defendant confined in jail for failure to pay a fine or cost or for
  contempt and to the authority of a municipality to enforce the
  collection of certain fines by imprisonment of the defendant.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Article 45.041(c), Code of Criminal Procedure,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (c)  The justice or judge shall credit the defendant for time
  served in jail as provided by Article 42.03. The credit under this
  subsection shall be applied to the amount of the fine and costs at
  the rate of not less than $150 for each period served that is not
  less than eight hours or more than 24 hours, as specified by the
  justice or judge [provided by Article 45.048].
         SECTION 2.  The heading to Article 45.046, Code of Criminal
  Procedure, is amended to read as follows:
         Art. 45.046.  HEARING ON DEFAULT [COMMITMENT].
         SECTION 3.  Article 45.046(a), Code of Criminal Procedure,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  When a judgment and sentence have been entered against a
  defendant and the defendant defaults in the discharge of the
  judgment, the judge may order the defendant to appear [confined in
  jail until discharged by law if the judge] at a hearing and show
  cause as to why the defendant defaulted in discharging the judgment
  [makes a written determination that:
               [(1) the defendant is not indigent and has failed to
  make a good faith effort to discharge the fine or costs; or
               [(2) the defendant is indigent and:
                     [(A) has failed to make a good faith effort to
  discharge the fine or costs under Article 45.049; and
                     [(B) could have discharged the fine or costs under
  Article 45.049 without experiencing any undue hardship].
         SECTION 4.  Subchapter B, Chapter 45, Code of Criminal
  Procedure, is amended by adding Article 45.0465 to read as follows:
         Art. 45.0465.  CONFINEMENT FOR FAILURE TO SATISFY JUDGMENT
  OR FOR CONTEMPT PROHIBITED. A justice or municipal court may not
  order the confinement of a person, including a child as defined by
  Article 45.058(h), for:
               (1)  the failure to pay all or part of a fine or cost
  imposed for the conviction of an offense punishable by fine only; or
               (2)  contempt of a judgment entered for the conviction
  of an offense punishable by fine only. 
         SECTION 5.  Article 45.048(a), Code of Criminal Procedure,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  A defendant confined [placed] in jail [on account of
  failure to pay the fine and costs] shall be discharged on habeas
  corpus by showing that the defendant was confined in jail:
               (1)  in violation of Article 45.0465 or 45.050(b) [is
  too poor to pay the fine and costs]; or
               (2)  as a result of:
                     (A)  failure to pay the applicable fine or cost
  imposed by a judgment entered for the conviction of an offense
  punishable by fine only; or
                     (B)  contempt of a judgment described by Paragraph
  (A) or, if the defendant is a child, contempt of an order of a
  justice or municipal court [has remained in jail a sufficient
  length of time to satisfy the fine and costs, at the rate of not less
  than $150 for each period served, as specified by the convicting
  court in the judgment in the case].
         SECTION 6.  The heading to Article 45.050, Code of Criminal
  Procedure, is amended to read as follows:
         Art. 45.050.  [FAILURE TO PAY FINE;] FAILURE TO APPEAR;
  CONTEMPT: JUVENILES.
         SECTION 7.  Article 45.050(b), Code of Criminal Procedure,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (b)  A justice or municipal court may not order the
  confinement of a child for:
               (1)  [the failure to pay all or any part of a fine or
  costs imposed for the conviction of an offense punishable by fine
  only;
               [(2)] the failure to appear for an offense committed by
  the child; or
               (2) [(3)]  contempt of an [another] order of a justice
  or municipal court.
         SECTION 8.  Article 45.203, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
  amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to
  read as follows:
         (a)  The governing body of each municipality shall by
  ordinance prescribe rules, not inconsistent with any law of this
  state, as may be proper to enforce the collection of fines imposed
  by a municipal court. In addition to any other method of enforcement
  authorized by law, the municipality may enforce the collection of
  fines by[:
               [(1)]  execution against the property of the defendant.
         (a-1)  A municipality may not enforce the collection of fines
  by [; or
               [(2)]  imprisonment of the defendant.
         SECTION 9.  Section 21.002(c), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (c)  Subject to Articles 45.0465 and 45.050(b), Code of
  Criminal Procedure, the [The] punishment for contempt of a justice
  court or municipal court is a fine of not more than $100 or
  confinement in the county or municipal [city] jail for not more than
  three days, or both such a fine and confinement in jail.
         SECTION 10.  The following provisions of the Code of
  Criminal Procedure are repealed:
               (1)  Article 45.046(b); and
               (2)  Article 45.048(b).
         SECTION 11.  (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this
  section, the changes in law made by this Act apply only to a
  judgment that has not been discharged before the effective date of
  this Act and a judgment entered on or after the effective date of
  this Act.
         (b)  Article 45.050(b), Code of Criminal Procedure, as
  amended by this Act, applies only to an order entered on or after
  the effective date of this Act.
         (c)  Not later than September 2, 2023, a county or municipal
  jail shall release each person who, on the effective date of this
  Act, is confined in the county or municipal jail for:
               (1)  the failure to pay all or part of a fine or cost
  imposed for the conviction of an offense punishable by fine only,
  including confinement ordered under Article 45.046, Code of
  Criminal Procedure, as that article existed before the effective
  date of this Act;
               (2)  contempt of a judgment entered for the conviction
  of an offense punishable by fine only; or
               (3)  contempt of an order of a justice or municipal
  court, if the person is a child as defined by Article 45.058(h),
  Code of Criminal Procedure.
         SECTION 12.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.