S.B. No. 196
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to the residency and certain duties of public weighers.
    1-2        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-3        SECTION 1.  Section 13.252, Agriculture Code, is amended by
    1-4  adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
    1-5        (c)  An appointed county public weigher is not required to
    1-6  reside in the county for which the public weigher is appointed.
    1-7        SECTION 2.  Section 13.254, Agriculture Code, is amended by
    1-8  adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
    1-9        (c)  A deputy county public weigher is not required to live
   1-10  in the county for which the deputy county public weigher is
   1-11  appointed.
   1-12        SECTION 3.  Section 13.257, Agriculture Code, is amended to
   1-13  read as follows:
   1-14        Sec. 13.257.  Recording of Weights and Measures.  (a)  On
   1-15  each certificate of weight or measure that a public weigher or
   1-16  deputy public weigher issues, the public weigher or deputy public
   1-17  weigher shall include the:
   1-18              (1)  time and date that the weight or measurement was
   1-19  taken;
   1-20              (2)  signature and license number of the public weigher
   1-21  or deputy public weigher; and
   1-22              (3)  seal of the department.
   1-23        (b)  A public weigher shall retain in a well-bound book a
   1-24  copy of each certificate <all certificates of weight or measure
    2-1  that the public weigher or the weigher's deputy issues>.  The
    2-2  department and members of the general public may inspect the record
    2-3  on request.
    2-4        SECTION 4.  (a)  The certificate requirements imposed by
    2-5  Section 13.257, Agriculture Code, as amended by this Act, apply
    2-6  only to a certificate issued on or after the effective date of this
    2-7  Act.
    2-8        (b)  A certificate issued before the effective date of this
    2-9  Act is governed by Section 13.257, Agriculture Code, as it existed
   2-10  before amendment by this Act, and that law is continued in effect
   2-11  for this purpose.
   2-12        SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
   2-13        SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-14  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-15  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-16  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-17  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.