By Coleman H.B. No. 2772 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the authority of a commissioners court in certain 1-3 counties to establish a public defender's office and to provide for 1-4 the expenses of that offices: 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Chapter 26 of the Code of Criminal Procedure is 1-7 amended by adding Article 26.049 to read as follows: 1-8 ART. 26.049. Public Defenders in Certain Counties. The 1-9 commissioners court of a county with a population of 100,000 or 1-10 more may establish a public defender's office and provide for the 1-11 expenses of that office. 1-12 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect on September 1, 1993. 1-13 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-14 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-15 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-16 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-17 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-18 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1 1-19 Amend HB 2772 as follows: 1-20 On page 1, line 11, insert the following before the period 1-21 and after "office": ", including contracts with private attorneys, 1-22 for such service, at the discretion of the commissioners court" 1-23 Longoria