1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to a branch office of a county clerk.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 292.006, Local Government Code, is
 1-5     amended to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 292.006.  BRANCH OFFICE OF COUNTY CLERK [FOR ISSUANCE OF
 1-7     MARRIAGE LICENSES].  (a)  On the request of the county clerk, the
 1-8     commissioners court of a county may provide by any means, operate,
 1-9     and maintain one or more branch offices at any place in the county
1-10     for the county clerk [for the purpose of issuing marriage
1-11     licenses].
1-12           (b)  If a branch office is provided under this section in a
1-13     building owned by the county, the commissioners court shall operate
1-14     and maintain the building in the same manner that it operates and
1-15     maintains the county courthouse.  The commissioners court shall
1-16     have care and custody of the building and may place any limitations
1-17     on the use and maintenance of the building it finds necessary.
1-18           (c)  The county clerk may authorize one or more of the
1-19     clerk's deputies to work in the branch office to conduct any
1-20     business as determined by the county clerk and in accordance with
1-21     Subsection (d).  [A deputy who is appointed by the county clerk may
1-22     take a marriage application from a person who desires to be
1-23     licensed to be married, and the deputy may issue a valid marriage
1-24     license to a qualified applicant.]
 2-1           (d)  If the recording of instruments or documents in the
 2-2     county's official records is permitted at a branch office by the
 2-3     county clerk, the recording must be by electronic means and the
 2-4     electronically recorded instruments or documents must be available
 2-5     without delay to members of the public in the county clerk's office
 2-6     at the county seat.  For purposes of this subsection, an instrument
 2-7     or document is available if it is capable of being:
 2-8                 (1)  electronically examined by a member of the public
 2-9     in the county clerk's office at the county seat; and
2-10                 (2)  placed into a format and medium that a member of
2-11     the public can electronically process using technology that is
2-12     generally available and nonproprietary.
2-13           (e)  On a daily [regular] basis, as directed by the county
2-14     clerk, a deputy at a branch office shall file all original records
2-15     made at that office during the previous day [year] with the county
2-16     clerk's office at the county seat not later than the start of the
2-17     next business day.
2-18           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-19     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-20     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-21     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-22     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-23     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-24     passage, and it is so enacted.
         _______________________________     _______________________________
             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House
               I certify that H.B. No. 1138 was passed by the House on April
         15, 1999, by a non-record vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House
               I certify that H.B. No. 1138 was passed by the Senate on May
         6, 1999, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Secretary of the Senate
         APPROVED:  _____________________
                            Date
                    _____________________
                          Governor