H.B. No. 2725
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the reimbursement to Wichita County for use of its
    1-3  criminal district attorneys office and prosecutors for prosecuting
    1-4  out-of-county mental health matters.
    1-5        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-6        SECTION 1.  Section 44.343, Government Code, is amended to
    1-7  read as follows:
    1-8        Sec. 44.343.  Wichita County.  (a)  The criminal district
    1-9  attorney shall represent the state in all matters in the district
   1-10  and inferior courts in the county.  The criminal district attorney
   1-11  shall perform the other duties that are conferred by general law on
   1-12  district and county attorneys.
   1-13        (b)  The criminal district attorney shall collect the fees,
   1-14  commissions, and perquisites that are provided by law for similar
   1-15  services rendered by a district or county attorney.  Additionally,
   1-16  the criminal district attorney is entitled to be reimbursed a
   1-17  reasonable fee for prosecuting cases arising under Chapter 574,
   1-18  Health and Safety Code, in which the patient or proposed patient is
   1-19  a resident of a county other than Wichita County.  Said fee is to
   1-20  be taxed as costs and is to be paid by the county of residence of
   1-21  the patient or proposed patient.  "Reasonable fee" as used herein
   1-22  shall mean an amount equal to the fee ordered by the Court for any
   1-23  attorney court-appointed to represent the patient or proposed
    2-1  patient at each hearing.  Fees collected under this section shall
    2-2  be deposited in the account from which Wichita County assistant
    2-3  criminal district attorneys are paid.
    2-4        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
    2-5        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-6  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-7  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-8  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-9  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.