Bill Text: TX HB1594 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to increasing the punishment for contempt of court by certain juveniles in a justice or municipal court.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-04-15 - Left pending in committee [HB1594 Detail]

Download: Texas-2015-HB1594-Introduced.html

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84R7008 MK-D
By: Murr H.B. No. 1594

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to increasing the punishment for contempt of court by
certain juveniles in a justice or municipal court.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Articles 45.050(b) and (c), Code of Criminal
Procedure, are 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[; or
[(2) contempt of another order of a justice or
municipal court].
(c) If a child fails to obey an order of a justice or
municipal court under circumstances that would constitute contempt
of court, the justice or municipal court, after providing notice
and an opportunity to be heard, may:
(1) refer the child to the appropriate juvenile court
for delinquent conduct for contempt of the justice or municipal
court order; or
(2) retain jurisdiction of the case, hold the child in
contempt of the justice or municipal court, and order one or more
[either or both] of the following:
(A) that the contemnor pay a fine not to exceed
$500; [or]
(B) that the Department of Public Safety suspend
the contemnor's driver's license or permit or, if the contemnor does
not have a license or permit, to deny the issuance of a license or
permit to the contemnor until the contemnor fully complies with the
orders of the court; or
(C) that the child be confined for a period not to
exceed 24 hours in accordance with the requirements for detention
of a child under Section 51.12(f), Family Code.
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only
to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.
An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is
governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed,
and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For
purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the
effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred
before that date.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.