HBA-KMH H.B. 3456 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3456
By: Hinojosa
Criminal Jurisprudence
3/19/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current law requires bail bondsmen to be licensed and regulated by bail
bond boards, but only in counties with a population of at least 110,000
people. Bail bondsmen are otherwise largely unregulated in the 240 counties
with a population under 110,000 people. H.B. 3456 provides regulations for
a bail bondsman based on a bondsman's years of service in the field. 

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 Section 6, Chapter 550, Acts of the 63rd Legislature,
Regular Session, 1973 (Article 2372p-3, V.T.C.S.)  by amending Subsections
(g) and (h) and adding Subsections (i)-(m), as follows: 

(g) Subjects this subsection to restrictions provided within this section.
Makes a nonsubstantive change. 

(h) Authorizes a bondsman who has been licensed for fewer than two years to
execute bail bonds that in the aggregate equal ten times the value of
property held as security under Subsection (f)(1) of this section plus five
times the value of property held in trust under Subsection (f)(2) of this
section. 

(i)  Authorizes a bondsman who has been licensed for at least two years and
fewer than four years to execute bail bonds that in the aggregate equal ten
times the value of property held as security under Subsection (f)(1) of
this section plus six times the value of property held in trust under
Subsection (f)(2) of this section. 

(j) Authorizes a bondsman who has been licensed for at least four years and
fewer than six years to execute bail bonds that in the aggregate equal ten
times the value of property held as security under Subsection (f)(1) of
this section plus eight times the value of property held in trust under
Subsection (f)(2) of this section. 

(k) Authorizes a bondsman who has been licensed for at least six years and
has not had a license under this Act suspended or revoked  to execute bail
bonds that in the aggregate equal ten times the value of property held as
security under Subsection (f)(1) of this section plus ten times the value
of property held in trust under Subsection (f)(2) of this section. 

(l) Makes a conforming change.

(m) Redesignated from existing Subsection (h).

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.