Tex. Transp. Code § 542.402 · Subchapter D. PENALTIES AND COSTS OF COURT
DISPOSITION OF FINES.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b-1), a municipality or county shall use a fine collected for a violation of a highway law in this title to:
(1) construct and maintain roads, bridges, and culverts in the municipality or county;
(2) enforce laws regulating the use of highways by motor vehicles; and
(3) defray the expense of county traffic officers.
(b) In each fiscal year, a municipality having a population of less than 5,000 may retain, from fines collected for violations of this title and fines collected under Article 45A.302, Code of Criminal Procedure, in cases in which a violation of this title is alleged, an amount equal to 30 percent of the municipality's revenue for the preceding fiscal year from all sources, other than federal funds and bond proceeds, as shown by the audit performed under Section 103.001, Local Government Code. After a municipality has retained that amount, the municipality shall send to the comptroller any portion of a fine collected that exceeds $1.
(b-1) Subject to Subsection (b-2), a county may use a fine collected for a violation of a highway law as the county determines appropriate if:
(1) the county has a population of less than 5,000; and
(2) the commissioners court of the county by resolution elects to spend the revenue in a manner other than as provided by Subsection (a).
(b-2) In each fiscal year, a county described by Subsection (b-1) may retain, from fines collected for violations of this title and from fines collected under Article 45A.302, Code of Criminal Procedure, in cases in which a violation of this title is alleged, an amount equal to 30 percent of the county's revenue for the preceding fiscal year from all sources, other than federal funds and bond proceeds, as shown by an audit performed under Chapter 115, Local Government Code. After a county has retained that amount, the county shall send to the comptroller any portion of a fine collected that exceeds $1.
(c) The comptroller shall enforce Subsections (b) and (b-2).
(d) In a fiscal year in which a municipality retains from fines and special expenses collected for violations of this title an amount equal to at least 20 percent of the municipality's revenue for the preceding fiscal year from all sources other than federal funds and bond proceeds, not later than the 120th day after the last day of the municipality's fiscal year, the municipality shall send to the comptroller:
(1) a copy of the municipality's financial statement for that fiscal year filed under Chapter 103, Local Government Code; and
(2) a report that shows the total amount collected for that fiscal year from fines under Subsection (b).
(d-1) In a fiscal year in which a county retains from fines and special expenses collected for violations of this title an amount equal to at least 20 percent of the county's revenue for the preceding fiscal year from all sources other than federal funds and bond proceeds, not later than the 120th day after the last day of the county's fiscal year, the county shall send to the comptroller:
(1) a copy of the county's financial statement; and
(2) a report that shows the total amount collected for that fiscal year from fines under Subsection (b-1).
(e) If an audit is conducted by the comptroller under Subsection (c) and it is determined that the municipality or county is retaining more than 20 percent of the amounts under Subsection (b) or (b-2), as applicable, and has not complied with Subsection (d) or (d-1), as applicable, the municipality or county shall pay the costs incurred by the comptroller in conducting the audit.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 30.105(a), eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1336, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1545, Sec. 72, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.
Amended by:
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1286 (H.B. 1517), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2011.
Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1352 (S.B. 346), Sec. 4.38, eff. January 1, 2020.
Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 765 (H.B. 4504), Sec. 2.173, eff. January 1, 2025.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/TN/htm/TN.542.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 7869f7a13939e3020826cc550571f06220d232431ca3ab4d37d8483f9c225066
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
This section cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Code of Criminal Procedure
Local Government Code
- Tex. Loc. Gov't Code ch. 103AUDIT OF MUNICIPAL FINANCESPrinted as Chapter 103, Local Government Code
- Tex. Loc. Gov't Code § 103.001ANNUAL AUDIT; FINANCIAL STATEMENT.Printed as Section 103.001, Local Government Code
- Tex. Loc. Gov't Code ch. 115AUDIT OF COUNTY FINANCESPrinted as Chapter 115, Local Government Code
Cited by 2 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Tex. Transp. Code § 542.402. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.