By Dutton                                             H.B. No. 2557
       74R7875 PAM-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to establishing the Harris County Law Enforcement Agency.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Subtitle C, Title 11, Local Government Code, is
    1-5  amended by adding Chapter 363 to read as follows:
    1-6    CHAPTER 363.  LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES PROVIDED THROUGH COUNTY
    1-7                                AGENCY
    1-8        Sec. 363.001.  HARRIS COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.  (a)
    1-9  The Harris County Law Enforcement Agency is established.
   1-10        (b)  The jurisdiction of the agency covers:
   1-11              (1)  Harris County; and
   1-12              (2)  the area that is in a county adjacent to Harris
   1-13  County and in a municipality that has a majority of its area
   1-14  located in Harris County.
   1-15        (c)  The agency has the powers and duties:
   1-16              (1)  assigned by law to a sheriff and a constable; and
   1-17              (2)  previously performed by:
   1-18                    (A)  a municipality located wholly in Harris
   1-19  County; and
   1-20                    (B)  a municipality located partly in Harris
   1-21  County and partly in a county adjacent to Harris County if a
   1-22  majority of the municipality's area is in Harris County.
   1-23        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect on the date the
   1-24  constitutional amendment proposed by the 74th Legislature, Regular
    2-1  Session, 1995, abolishing the office of constable and sheriff and
    2-2  certain municipal police departments in Harris County and to
    2-3  establish the Harris County Law Enforcement Agency takes effect.
    2-4  If that amendment is not approved by the voters, this Act has no
    2-5  effect.
    2-6        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-7  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-8  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-9  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-10  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.