By:  Patterson                                         S.B. No. 717
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to the authority of a county judge in counties with a
    1-2  population greater than 2,400,000 to delegate certain
    1-3  responsibilities.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Chapter 81, Subchapter B, Local Government Code,
    1-6  is amended by adding Section 81.029 to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 81.029.  Delegation of Duties of a County Judge in
    1-8  Counties with Population of More than 2,400,000.  (a)  This section
    1-9  applies exclusively to a county judge in a county with a population
   1-10  of more than 2,400,000.
   1-11        (b)  A county judge may file an order with the commissioners
   1-12  court of the county delegating to another county officer or an
   1-13  employee of the county the ability to sign orders or other official
   1-14  documents associated with the county judge's office.  The
   1-15  delegating order shall clearly indicate the types of orders or
   1-16  official documents that the officer or employee may sign on behalf
   1-17  of the county judge.
   1-18        (c)  An order or official document signed by a county officer
   1-19  or county employee acting under the delegated authority of the
   1-20  county judge in accordance with this section has the same effect as
   1-21  an order of the county judge.
   1-22        (d)  The county judge may at any time revoke the delegated
   1-23  authority or transfer it to a different county officer or county
    2-1  employee by filing an order with the commissioners court of the
    2-2  county.
    2-3        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-4  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-5  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-6  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-7  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.