HCS/SB 342 – This act authorizes municipal courts to contract with a public entity or employ a person to serve as the city’s probation officer. Currently, such courts may only contract with a private entity to provide probation services. Persons found guilty of municipal ordinances and placed on probation will be required to pay a service fee to the court to pay for the probation services. Cities which do not have probation services for persons convicted of ordinance violations or that contracts with a private entity to provide such services may continue to contract with private entities to provide probation services or employ a probation officer and contract with the municipal court to provide probation services. JIM ERTLE