HBA-KDB H.B. 1988 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1988
By: Hill
Criminal Jurisprudence
4/6/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

A substantial amount of fees are not collected by the state each year
because of the number of traffic tickets that remain uncollected by the
state.  Under current law, the commissioners court of a county is
authorized to contract with a public or private vendor to collect fines,
fees, restitution, and other costs.  However, there is  no limit on the
amount of compensation a vendor may receive from the court for providing
this service.  House Bill 1988 prohibits such a vendor from receiving
compensation from a commissioners court that is greater than 30 percent of
the fines, fees, restitution, and other costs collected by the vendor. 

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. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1988 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to prohibit a vendor
that has contracted with the commissioners court of a county to collect
fines, fees, restitution, and other costs from receiving compensation under
the contract in an amount that is greater than 30 percent of the fines,
fees, restitution, and other costs collected by the vendor.  The bill
authorizes the custodian of the county treasury, if a required fine, fee,
restitution, or cost is collected by a vendor, to reduce the amount
forwarded to the state by a percentage equal to the percentage specified as
compensation under the vendor's contract with the commissioners court. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.