By Lindsay                                      S.B. No. 1488

      75R9327 DRH-F                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the employment of in-house counsel by a county

 1-3     commissioners court.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 81, Local Government Code,

 1-6     is amended by adding Section 81.0235 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 81.0235.  EMPLOYMENT OF COUNSEL.   Notwithstanding

 1-8     Section 81.023(c), the commissioners court of a county may employ

 1-9     and compensate counsel as necessary to provide legal advice to the

1-10     court on the affairs of the county.  The county or district

1-11     attorney, as applicable, is the attorney of record for the county.

1-12           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-13     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-14     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-15     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-16     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-17     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-18     passage, and it is so enacted.