AN ACT

 1-1     relating to the immunity from liability of counties and juvenile

 1-2     boards and their employees and volunteers in relation to certain

 1-3     responsibilities.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 37.011, Education Code, is amended by

 1-6     adding Subsection (j) to read as follows:

 1-7           (j)  In relation to the development and operation of a

 1-8     juvenile justice alternative education program, a juvenile board

 1-9     and a county and a commissioners court are immune from liability to

1-10     the same extent as a school district, and the juvenile board's or

1-11     county's professional employees and volunteers are immune from

1-12     liability to the same extent as a school district's professional

1-13     employees and volunteers.

1-14           SECTION 2.  This Act applies only to a cause of action that

1-15     accrues on or after the effective date of this Act.  An action that

1-16     accrued before the effective date of this Act is governed by the

1-17     law as it existed immediately before that date, and that law is

1-18     continued in effect for that purpose.

1-19           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-20     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-21     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-22     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-23     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 2-1     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 2-2     passage, and it is so enacted.

         _______________________________     _______________________________

             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House

               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 135 passed the Senate on

         March 12, 1997, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Secretary of the Senate

               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 135 passed the House on

         May 26, 1997, by the following vote:  Yeas 145, Nays 0, one present

         not voting.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House

         Approved:

         _______________________________

                     Date

         _______________________________

                   Governor