1. (a) On a plea of guilty or nolo contendere by a defendant or on a finding of guilt in a misdemeanor case punishable by fine only and payment of all court costs, a judge may defer further proceedings for a period not to exceed 180 days without entering an adjudication of guilt.
2. (b) In issuing the order of deferral, the judge may impose a special expense fee on the defendant in an amount not to exceed the amount of the fine that could be imposed on the defendant as punishment for the offense.
3. (c) The fee described by Subsection (b) may be collected at any time before the date on which the period of deferral ends. A judge who orders the collection of the fee must require that the amount of the fee be credited toward the payment of the amount of any fine imposed by the judge as punishment for the offense.
4. (d) The judge may elect not to impose the special expense fee for good cause shown by the defendant.
5. (e) An order of deferral under this article terminates any liability under a bond given for the charge.

Added by Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 765 (H.B. 4504), Sec. 1.001, eff. January 1, 2025.

Acts 2025, 89th Leg., 2nd C.S., Ch. 7 (H.B. 16), Sec. 7.01, eff. December 4, 2025.