By Hamric                                             H.B. No. 1124
         76R2418 SMJ-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the setting of certain county fees for a license,
 1-3     permit, registration, or other similar form of permission.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 118, Local Government Code,
 1-6     is amended by adding Section 118.003 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 118.003.  FEES NOT SPECIFICALLY PRESCRIBED BY STATUTE.
 1-8     (a)  The commissioners court of a county may set a reasonable fee
 1-9     for issuing a license, permit, registration, or other similar form
1-10     of permission authorized by a statute but for which a fee is not
1-11     specifically prescribed by statute.
1-12           (b)  In determining a reasonable fee, the commissioners court
1-13     may not set the fee in an amount that is greater than is necessary
1-14     to recover the expenses of regulating the activity for which the
1-15     license, permit, registration, or other similar form of permission
1-16     is issued.
1-17           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-18           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-19     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-20     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-21     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-22     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.