Enrolled Bill Summary

            House Bill 2931 amends provisions of the Government and Local Government codes relating to the administration and finances of the counties and certain other entities. The bill allows the records of a district or county attorney and the recording of commissioners court proceedings by a county clerk to be maintained in either paper or electronic format, or both. It adds a local government corporation and a political subdivision corporation to the definition of a local government, and it allows the parties to an interlocal contract to supervise the performance of the contract by contracting with a tax-exempt organization that derives more than half of its income from services to a political subdivision or combination of subdivisions. The bill allows an administrative agency created to supervise an interlocal contract and a county to pursue protection of intellectual property rights, but it prohibits a county from developing a computer application or software system for the sole purpose of selling, licensing, or marketing the software.

            House Bill 2931 amends the Local Government Code to authorize a county to establish in the budget a reserve or contingency item, but it requires inclusion of that item in the itemized budget submitted by the county's budget officer. The bill requires an appointment to a local governing body to be made in accordance with the law applicable to that local government and with the intent to ensure the body is representative of its constituency. The bill allows the commissioners court to impose an application fee to cover the cost of the county's review of a subdivision plat and inspection of the improvement described by the plat. The bill repeals provisions relating to various reports to the county clerk and certain employment contracts.