1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the copies prepared by a district or county clerk of
 1-3     certain court records.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 118, Local Government Code,
 1-6     is amended by adding Section 118.0526 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 118.0526.  COPIES OF COURT RECORDS PRESERVED ONLY ON
 1-8     MICROFILM OR BY ELECTRONIC METHOD.  (a)  On the written request of
 1-9     a party in an action, the clerk of a county court shall provide the
1-10     court with a copy of a motion, order, or other pleading in the
1-11     action that is preserved only on microfilm or by other electronic
1-12     means.  The request must specify the document sought and the
1-13     approximate date that the document was filed.
1-14           (b)  The county clerk may not charge a fee for a copy made
1-15     under this section.
1-16           SECTION 2.  Subchapter D, Chapter 51, Government Code, is
1-17     amended by adding Section 51.3195 to read as follows:
1-18           Sec. 51.3195.  COPIES OF COURT RECORDS PRESERVED ONLY ON
1-19     MICROFILM OR BY ELECTRONIC METHOD.  (a)  On the written request of
1-20     a party in an action, the district clerk shall provide the court
1-21     with a copy of a motion, order, or other pleading in the action
1-22     that is preserved only on microfilm or by other electronic means.
1-23     The request must specify the document sought and the approximate
1-24     date that the document was filed.
 2-1           (b)  The district clerk may not charge a fee for a copy made
 2-2     under this section.
 2-3           SECTION 3.   This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
 2-4           SECTION 4.   The importance of this legislation and the
 2-5     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-6     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-7     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-8     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
         _______________________________     _______________________________
             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House
               I certify that H.B. No. 918 was passed by the House on May 8,
         1999, by a non-record vote; that the House refused to concur in
         Senate amendments to H.B. No. 918 on May 26, 1999, and requested
         the appointment of a conference committee to consider the
         differences between the two houses; and that the House adopted the
         conference committee report on H.B. No. 918 on May 30, 1999, by a
         non-record vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House
               I certify that H.B. No. 918 was passed by the Senate, with
         amendments, on May 24, 1999, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays
         0; at the request of the House, the Senate appointed a conference
         committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and
         that the Senate adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No.
         918 on May 30, 1999, by a viva-voce vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Secretary of the Senate
         APPROVED:  _____________________
                            Date
                    _____________________
                          Governor