By Hirschi                                            H.B. No. 2725
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    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 of the Texas Government Code is
    1-7  amended to 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 for by law for
   1-15  similar services rendered by a district or county attorney.
   1-16  Additionally, the criminal district attorney is entitled to be
   1-17  reimbursed a reasonable fee for prosecuting cases arising under
   1-18  Chapter 574, Health and Safety Code, in which the patient or
   1-19  proposed patient is a resident of a county other than Wichita
   1-20  County.  Said fee is to be taxed as costs and is to be paid by the
   1-21  county of residence of the patient or proposed patient.
   1-22  "Reasonable fee" as used herein shall mean an amount equal to the
   1-23  fee ordered by the Court for any attorney court-appointed to
    2-1  represent the patient or proposed patient at each hearing.  Fees
    2-2  collected from under this section shall be deposited in the account
    2-3  from which Wichita County Assistant Criminal District Attorneys are
    2-4  paid.
    2-5        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
    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.