By Ellis                                               S.B. No. 249
         76R3767 MLS-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the trial court emergency account.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Chapter 21, Government Code, is amended by adding
 1-5     Section 21.0081 to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 21.0081.  TRIAL COURT EMERGENCY ACCOUNT.  (a)  In this
 1-7     section, "office" means the Office of Court Administration of the
 1-8     Texas Judicial System.
 1-9           (b)  The trial court emergency account is an account in the
1-10     judicial fund.  The office shall administer the trial court
1-11     emergency account as directed by the supreme court.
1-12           (c)  The office shall distribute money appropriated to the
1-13     trial court emergency account to help trial courts defray the cost
1-14     of capital murder cases and other extraordinary criminal and civil
1-15     cases with inordinate expenses.  In distributing the money in the
1-16     trial court emergency account, the office shall give preference to
1-17     trial courts in rural areas.
1-18           (d)  The office shall file a report with the Legislative
1-19     Budget Board at the end of each fiscal year showing disbursements
1-20     from the account and the purpose of each disbursement.
1-21           (e)  All money spent is subject to audit by the comptroller
1-22     and the state auditor.
1-23           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-24           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-1     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-2     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-3     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-4     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.