By:  Lucio                                            S.B. No. 1863

         Line and page numbers may not match official copy.

         Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to the compensation paid to outside counsel by a state

 1-2     agency.

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

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 402.0212, Subchapter B, Chapter 402,

 1-5     Government Code, is amended by adding Subsection (d) to read as

 1-6     follows:

 1-7           (d)  Unless an alternative fee arrangement is approved in

 1-8     advance by the legislature, compensation paid by a state agency in

 1-9     the executive department to an attorney shall be based on a

1-10     reasonable hourly rate of service and the number of hours of

1-11     service provided to the state agency, plus reasonable expenses

1-12     actually incurred by the attorney and approved in advance by the

1-13     state agency and the attorney general.

1-14           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-15           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-16     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-17     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-18     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-19     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.