By Goolsby H.B. No. 1254 76R4990 MLS-F A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to issuance of United States passports by district clerks. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 51, Government Code, is 1-5 amended by adding Section 51.3031 to read as follows: 1-6 Sec. 51.3031. ISSUANCE OF UNITED STATES PASSPORTS. (a) A 1-7 district clerk may perform all duties necessary to process an 1-8 application for a United States passport, including taking passport 1-9 photographs. 1-10 (b) To recover the costs of providing passport services, 1-11 including taking passport photographs, a district clerk may collect 1-12 a reasonable fee in an amount set by the commissioners court of the 1-13 county in which the district clerk's office is located. 1-14 (c) A district clerk, after collecting a fee under 1-15 Subsection (b), shall pay the fee to the county treasurer, or to an 1-16 official who discharges the duties of the county treasurer, for 1-17 deposit in the general fund of the county. 1-18 SECTION 2. 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, 1-23 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 1-24 passage, and it is so enacted.