AN ACT

 1-1     relating to the duties of the district attorney for the 156th

 1-2     Judicial District.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 43.161, Government Code, is amended to

 1-5     read as follows:

 1-6           Sec. 43.161.  156TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT.  (a)  The voters of

 1-7     Bee, Live Oak, and McMullen counties elect a district attorney for

 1-8     the 156th Judicial District who represents the state in that

 1-9     district court only in those counties.  In addition to exercising

1-10     the duties and authority conferred on district attorneys by general

1-11     law, the district attorney shall also represent the state in all

1-12     criminal cases in the district courts in those counties.

1-13           (b)  If there is no county attorney in McMullen County, the

1-14     district attorney may perform the duties of the county attorney in

1-15     McMullen County.

1-16           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-17     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-18     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-19     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-20     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-21     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-22     passage, and it is so enacted.

         _______________________________     _______________________________

             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House

               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 401 passed the Senate on

         February 26, 1997, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Secretary of the Senate

               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 401 passed the House on

         April 11, 1997, by the following vote:  Yeas 132, Nays 0, two

         present not voting.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House

         Approved:

         _______________________________

                     Date

         _______________________________

                   Governor