HBA-NMO H.B. 3500 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3500
By: Puente
Criminal Jurisprudence
3/21/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current law does not require a county to accept a bail bond from an
individual not licensed by that county's bail bond board.  This may create
a hardship for a person attempting to post bond in a county other than the
person's home county.  H.B. 3500 authorizes a person who holds a license
issued by a county bail bond board to act as a bondsman in any court in a
county in which the person is not licensed if the person is properly
certified to do such by the sheriff of the county in which the person is
licensed.  

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 4(a), Chapter 550, Acts of the 63rd Legislature,
Regular Session, 1973 (Article 2372p-3, V.T.C.S.), to make a conforming
change.  

SECTION 2. Amends Section 6, Chapter 550, Acts of the 63rd Legislature,
Regular Session, 1973 (Article 2372p-3, V.T.C.S.), by adding Subsection
(i), as follows: 

(i) Authorizes a person who holds a license issued by a county bail bond
board to act as a bondsman in any court in a county in which the person is
not licensed if the sheriff of the county in which the person is licensed
issues a notarized certificate stating that the person meets the
requirements of this Act for any bond executed by the bondsman outside that
county.  Provides that a bond issued under this subsection is subject to
the property held as security on deposit or in trust in the county for
which the sheriff has issued the certificate and requires the bond to be
included in the total amount of potential liability recorded for that
county. 

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 1999.
           Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 4.  Emergency clause.