1-1  By:  Patterson                                         S.B. No. 717
    1-2        (In the Senate - Filed February 22, 1995; February 23, 1995,
    1-3  read first time and referred to Committee on Intergovernmental
    1-4  Relations; March 16, 1995, reported favorably, as amended, by the
    1-5  following vote:  Yeas 10, Nays 0; March 16, 1995, sent to printer.)
    1-6  COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1                               By:  Leedom
    1-7  Amend S.B. No. 717 by striking "2,400,000" on page 1, line 3
    1-8  (Committee printing page 1, line 14), on page 1, line 9 (Committee
    1-9  printing page 1, line 20), and on page 1, line 11 (Committee
   1-10  printing page 1, line 22) and replacing with "1,000,000".
   1-11                         A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
   1-12                                AN ACT
   1-13  relating to the authority of a county judge in counties with a
   1-14  population greater than 2,400,000 to delegate certain
   1-15  responsibilities.
   1-16        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
   1-17        SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 81, Local Government Code,
   1-18  is amended by adding Section 81.029 to read as follows:
   1-19        Sec. 81.029.  DELEGATION OF DUTIES OF A COUNTY JUDGE IN
   1-20  COUNTIES WITH POPULATION OF MORE THAN 2,400,000.  (a)  This section
   1-21  applies exclusively to a county judge in a county with a population
   1-22  of more than 2,400,000.
   1-23        (b)  A county judge may file an order with the commissioners
   1-24  court of the county delegating to another county officer or an
   1-25  employee of the county the ability to sign orders or other official
   1-26  documents associated with the county judge's office.  The
   1-27  delegating order shall clearly indicate the types of orders or
   1-28  official documents that the officer or employee may sign on behalf
   1-29  of the county judge.
   1-30        (c)  An order or official document signed by a county officer
   1-31  or county employee acting under the delegated authority of the
   1-32  county judge in accordance with this section has the same effect as
   1-33  an order of the county judge.
   1-34        (d)  The county judge may at any time revoke the delegated
   1-35  authority or transfer it to a different county officer or county
   1-36  employee by filing an order with the commissioners court of the
   1-37  county.
   1-38        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-39  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-40  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-41  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-42  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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