By:  Barrientos                                       S.B. No. 1159
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to the participation in pro bono legal services to
    1-2  low-income Texans by some attorney employees of the State of Texas.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Article 6252-9b is amended by adding Sec. 16 to
    1-5  read as follows:
    1-6        (a)  Attorneys who are state employees as defined under Sec.
    1-7  2(7)(A) and (C) of this Act may provide pro bono legal services to
    1-8  poor clients without compensation.  Such services may not conflict
    1-9  with the attorney employee's official duties or the interests of
   1-10  the State.
   1-11        (b)  Each agency or legislative office head may adopt
   1-12  guidelines concerning the participation of attorney employees in
   1-13  pro bono legal services to the poor.
   1-14        (c)  Attorney employees providing pro bono legal services to
   1-15  the poor shall not represent to any client or any other person that
   1-16  they are acting on behalf of the State of Texas or any subdivision
   1-17  thereof.
   1-18        (d)  The State of Texas and its subdivisions assume no
   1-19  liability for the pro bono activities performed by attorney
   1-20  employees.
   1-21        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect on September 1, 1993.
   1-22        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-23  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-1  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-2  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-3  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.