By: Hinojosa S.B. No. 1840
 
  (Murr)
 
   
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the assistance and technology fund and use of money in
  the fund.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  The heading to Article 102.0173, Code of
  Criminal Procedure, is amended to read as follows:
         Art. 102.0173.  COURT COSTS; JUSTICE COURT ASSISTANCE AND
  TECHNOLOGY FUND.
         SECTION 2.  Articles 102.0173(a), (c), (d), (e), and (f),
  Code of Criminal Procedure, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The commissioners court of a county by order shall
  create a justice court assistance and technology fund. A defendant
  convicted of a misdemeanor offense in justice court shall pay a $4
  justice court assistance and technology fee as a cost of court for
  deposit in the fund.
         (c)  The justice court clerk shall collect the costs and pay
  the funds to the county treasurer, or to any other official who
  discharges the duties commonly delegated to the county treasurer,
  for deposit in a fund to be known as the justice court assistance
  and technology fund.
         (d)  A fund designated by this article may be used only to
  finance:
               (1)  the cost of providing court personnel, including
  salaries and benefits for the court personnel;
               (2)  the cost of continuing education and training for
  justice court judges and court personnel [clerks regarding
  technological enhancements for justice courts]; and
               (3) [(2)]  the purchase and maintenance of
  technological enhancements for a justice court, including:
                     (A)  computer systems;
                     (B)  computer networks;
                     (C)  computer hardware;
                     (D)  computer software;
                     (E)  imaging systems;
                     (F)  electronic kiosks;
                     (G)  electronic ticket writers; and
                     (H)  docket management systems.
         (e)  The justice court assistance and technology fund shall
  be administered by or under the direction of the commissioners
  court of the county.
         (f)  A justice court may, subject to the approval of the
  commissioners court, use a fund designated by this article to
  assist a constable's office or other county department with a
  technological enhancement, or cost related to the enhancement,
  described by Subsection (d)(3) [(d)(1) or (2)] if the enhancement
  directly relates to the operation or efficiency of the justice
  court. [This subsection applies only to a county that:
               [(1)  has a population of 125,000 or more;
               [(2)     is not adjacent to a county of two million or
  more;
               [(3)  contains a portion of the Guadalupe River; and
               [(4)  contains a portion of Interstate Highway 10.]
         SECTION 3.  Section 102.101, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 102.101.  ADDITIONAL COURT COSTS ON CONVICTION IN
  JUSTICE COURT:  CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE. A clerk of a justice
  court shall collect fees and costs under the Code of Criminal
  Procedure on conviction of a defendant as follows:
               (1)  a jury fee (Art. 102.004, Code of Criminal
  Procedure) . . . $3;
               (2)  a fee for withdrawing request for jury less than 24
  hours before time of trial (Art. 102.004, Code of Criminal
  Procedure) . . . $3;
               (3)  a jury fee for two or more defendants tried jointly
  (Art. 102.004, Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . one jury fee of $3;
               (4)  a security fee on a misdemeanor offense (Art.
  102.017, Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . $4;
               (5)  a fee for assistance and technology fund on a
  misdemeanor offense (Art. 102.0173, Code of Criminal Procedure)
  . . . $4;
               (6)  a juvenile case manager fee (Art. 102.0174, Code
  of Criminal Procedure) . . . not to exceed $5 if the court employs a
  juvenile case manager;
               (7)  a fee on conviction of certain offenses involving
  issuing or passing a subsequently dishonored check or similar sight
  order (Art. 102.0071, Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . not to
  exceed $30; and
               (8)  a civil justice fee (Art. 102.022, Code of
  Criminal Procedure) . . . $0.10.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.