By Janek                                              H.B. No. 3030
         76R7131 GJH-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the selection of an attorney to represent certain
 1-3     taxing units in enforcing the collection of delinquent ad valorem
 1-4     taxes.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1.  Sections 6.30(b) and (c), Tax Code, are amended
 1-7     to read as follows:
 1-8           (b)  Except as provided by Subsection (c), the [The]
 1-9     governing body of a taxing unit other than a county may determine
1-10     who represents the unit to enforce the collection of delinquent
1-11     taxes.  If a taxing unit collects taxes for another taxing unit,
1-12     the attorney representing the unit to enforce the collection of
1-13     delinquent taxes may represent the other unit with consent of its
1-14     governing body.
1-15           (c)  If a county with a population of more than 2.8 million
1-16     collects taxes for another taxing unit, the attorney representing
1-17     the county to enforce the collection of delinquent taxes shall
1-18     represent the other unit to enforce the collection of the unit's
1-19     delinquent taxes.  Unless the attorney and the governing body of
1-20     the other taxing unit agree otherwise, the terms of the contract
1-21     between the county and the attorney apply to the attorney's
1-22     enforcement of the collection of delinquent taxes for the other
1-23     unit.
1-24           (d)  Except as provided by Subsection (c), the [The]
 2-1     governing body of a taxing unit may contract with any competent
 2-2     attorney to represent the unit to enforce the collection of
 2-3     delinquent taxes.  The attorney's compensation is set in the
 2-4     contract, but the total amount of compensation provided may not
 2-5     exceed 20 percent of the amount of delinquent tax, penalty, and
 2-6     interest collected.
 2-7           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999, and
 2-8     applies only to a contract between a taxing unit and an attorney to
 2-9     enforce the collection of delinquent ad valorem taxes that is
2-10     entered into on or after that date.  A contract between a taxing
2-11     unit and an attorney to enforce the collection of delinquent ad
2-12     valorem taxes that was entered into before that date is governed by
2-13     the law in effect on the date the contract was entered into, and
2-14     that law is continued in effect for that purpose.
2-15           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-16     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-17     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-18     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-19     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.