H.B. No. 2663 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the powers and duties of the commissioners court. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 81, Local Government Code, 1-5 is amended by adding Section 81.028 to read as follows: 1-6 Sec. 81.028. CERTAIN POWERS SPECIFIED. Each commissioners 1-7 court may: 1-8 (1) establish public ferries whenever the public 1-9 interest may require; 1-10 (2) lay out and establish, change, discontinue, close, 1-11 abandon, or vacate public roads and highways; 1-12 (3) build bridges and keep them in repair; 1-13 (4) appoint road overseers and apportion hands; 1-14 (5) exercise general control over all roads, highways, 1-15 ferries, and bridges in their counties; 1-16 (6) provide for the support of paupers, residents of 1-17 their county, who are unable to support themselves. A county is 1-18 obligated to provide health care assistance to eligible residents 1-19 only to the extent prescribed by Chapter 61, Health and Safety 1-20 Code, but that chapter does not affect the authority of a 1-21 commissioners court to provide eligibility standards or other 1-22 requirements relating to other assistance programs or services that 1-23 are not covered by Chapter 61; and 2-1 (7) establish a least cost review program for public 2-2 improvements to be constructed by use of personnel, equipment, or 2-3 facilities of the county that may exceed a cost of $100,000 or a 2-4 lesser amount in the discretion of the commissioners court. 2-5 SECTION 2. Chapter 140, Local Government Code, is amended by 2-6 adding Section 140.005 to read as follows: 2-7 Sec. 140.005. LEAST COST REVIEW PROGRAM. (a) To assist 2-8 counties, the state auditor in consultation with the comptroller of 2-9 public accounts may develop, promulgate, and widely distribute 2-10 forms, with instruction, for cost accounting for public 2-11 improvements. The auditor and the comptroller shall consult with 2-12 large and small governmental entities and the construction industry 2-13 prior to the promulgation of the forms and instructions. 2-14 (b) The cost accounting forms shall be simple and concise 2-15 and capable of being completed by the counties at a minimum cost. 2-16 The form shall provide a simple comparison of the cost of public 2-17 improvements constructed by a county's personnel, equipment, or 2-18 facilities and a competitive bid submitted by the private sector. 2-19 (c) The forms and instructions promulgated and distributed 2-20 shall provide for cost comparisons by all governmental entities, 2-21 including but not limited to counties, municipalities, special 2-22 districts, and any other such entities that construct public 2-23 improvements in-house. The cost comparison forms, with 2-24 instruction, shall be promulgated and distributed by May 21, 1994. 2-25 SECTION 3. Article 2351, Revised Statutes, is repealed. 3-1 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 1993. 3-2 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the 3-3 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-4 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-5 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-6 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.