Overview Leg Update

Collection Improvement Program
Office of Court Administration
May 2015
Program Overview
The Office of Court Administration’s (OCA) Collection Improvement Program (CIP) is a set of principles and processes
designed to assist cities and counties with collecting court costs, fees, and fines assessed against persons convicted of
(or placed on deferred adjudication or deferred disposition for) misdemeanor or felony charges when they are not
prepared to pay all court costs, fees, and fines, at the time of assessment and when time to pay is requested.
Authority
 Article 103.0033 to the Code of Criminal Procedure.
 Texas Administrative Code Title 1 Part 8 Chapter 175.
Mandatory Major Requirements
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Requires specific “in-house” management of current cases as outlined by OCA
Requires strict management of delinquent cases (more than 60 days delinquent) which may include outsourcing
Requires jurisdiction to report costs and results in format requested by OCA
Requires three audits: Pre-implementation, Post implementation, and Compliance audit conducted by OCA
Audit Section
Failure of compliance audit will result in loss of 10 percent service fee and time payment fee
OCA Technical Support
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Assist with Local Development
 Developed & staffed 5 regions Statewide
Assist with Local Implementation
 Conduct simulated audits (walk-throughs/spot checks)
Provide Training
 Conduct regional & on-site workshops
 Work with related professional and education association
Monitor Compliance & Performance
 Evaluate & analyze program results
 Make recommendations to maximize effectiveness
2015 Proposed Legislation of Interest
HB 121 ___________________________________________________________________
HB 1181 ___________________________________________________________________
HB 2182 _________ _________________________________________________________
HB 2658 ___________________________________________________________________
HB 3855 ___________________________________________________________________
HB 4108
__________________________________________________________________
SB 663
__________________________________________________________________
SB 740
____________________________________________________________________
HB 2021 __________________________________________________________________
SB 857
__________________________________________________________________
SB 873
___________________________________________________________________
SB 1040 ____________________________________________________________________
SB 1506 ____________________________________________________________________
Contacts:
Jim Lehman
Collection Program Manger
Phone: 512-936-0991
Email: jim.lehman@txcourts.gov
Cynthia Montes
Regional Collections Specialist
North Texas Region
Phone: 940-349-2818
Email: cynthia.montes@tscourts.gov
Chad Graf
Regional Collection Specialist
East Texas Region
Phone: 903-216-4308
Email: chad.graf@txcourts.gov
Lee Keeton
Regional Collections Specialist
Houston Region
Phone: 713-314-5778
Email: lee.keeton@txcourts.gov
Daphne Webber
Regional Collections Specialist
Central Texas Region
Phone: 512-936-7555
Email: daphne.webber@txcourts.gov
Aaron Castillo
Regional Collections Specialist
South Texas Region
Phone: 956-973-7830
Email: aaron.castillo@txcourts.gov
Berny Schiff
Senior Financial Analyst
Phone: 512-936-7557
Email: berny.schiff@txcourts.gov
Susana Kent
Financial Analyst
Phone: 512-763-5488
Email: Susana.kent@txcourts.gov