By Turner                                              S.B. No. 387
       74R3634 PAM-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to authorizing certain counties to maintain a branch
    1-3  courthouse outside the county seat and permitting certain
    1-4  governmental entities to conduct certain functions at that
    1-5  facility.
    1-6        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-7        SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 292, Local Government Code,
    1-8  is amended by adding Section 292.0231 to read as follows:
    1-9        Sec. 292.0231.  FACILITIES IN COUNTIES WITH POPULATIONS UNDER
   1-10  30,000.  (a)  This section applies only to a county with a
   1-11  population of less than 30,000.
   1-12        (b)  The commissioners court of a county may provide for,
   1-13  operate, and maintain a branch courthouse outside the county seat.
   1-14  The commissioners court may provide for a branch courthouse by
   1-15  constructing a building or by purchasing, renting, or leasing
   1-16  office space.  The expense of operating and maintaining the branch
   1-17  courthouse must be paid from county funds used to operate and
   1-18  maintain other county buildings.
   1-19        (c)  If the branch courthouse is in a county-owned building,
   1-20  the commissioners court:
   1-21              (1)  has care and custody of the building;
   1-22              (2)  may operate and maintain the building as it
   1-23  operates and maintains the county courthouse; and
   1-24              (3)  may limit the use and maintenance of the building
    2-1  as it finds necessary.
    2-2        (d)  On approval of the commissioners court, an office, a
    2-3  department, a facility, a court, or another agency of the county or
    2-4  of a judicial district may:
    2-5              (1)  maintain a branch office in the branch courthouse;
    2-6  and
    2-7              (2)  conduct any function at the branch courthouse that
    2-8  the entity is authorized to conduct at the courthouse located
    2-9  inside the county seat.
   2-10        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-11  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-12  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-13  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-14  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.