1-1     By:  Thompson (Senate Sponsor - Ellis)                H.B. No. 1168
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 19, 1999;
 1-3     April 20, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on
 1-4     Intergovernmental Relations; May 14, 1999, reported adversely, with
 1-5     favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 5, Nays
 1-6     0; May 14, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1168                   By:  Ellis
 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-9                                   AN ACT
1-10     relating to security services in certain court buildings.
1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-12           SECTION 1.  Chapter 291, Local Government Code, is amended by
1-13     adding Section 291.010 to read as follows:
1-14           Sec. 291.010.  SECURITY SERVICES IDENTIFICATION CARD.
1-15     (a)  The commissioners court of a county with a population of 2.8
1-16     million or more by order may:
1-17                 (1)  authorize the issuance of an identification card
1-18     to individuals permitting entrance into a county building that
1-19     houses a justice court, county court, county court at law, or
1-20     district court without passing through the security services
1-21     provided under Article 102.017, Code of Criminal Procedure; and
1-22                 (2)  set a reasonable fee for the issuance of the
1-23     identification card to individuals other than county employees.
1-24           (b)  The commissioners court shall adopt standards for
1-25     issuing an identification card described by this section to ensure
1-26     public safety and security.
1-27           (c)  This section does not authorize a person to possess a
1-28     firearm, as that term is defined by Section 46.01, Penal Code, in a
1-29     county building that houses a justice court, county court, county
1-30     court at law, or district court.  A person who possesses a firearm
1-31     in any court described by this section or in any office used by the
1-32     court without the court's written authorization or without
1-33     complying with any written regulation of the court is subject to
1-34     the penalties provided by Chapter 46, Penal Code.
1-35           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-36     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-37     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-38     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-39     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
1-40     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
1-41     passage, and it is so enacted.
1-42                                  * * * * *