By:  Luna                                              S.B. No. 491
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                       AN ACT
 1-1     relating to legal services provided to school districts.
 1-2           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-3           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 44, Education Code, is
 1-4     amended by adding Section 44.042 to read as follows:
 1-5           Sec. 44.042.  CONTRACTS FOR LEGAL SERVICES.  (a)  A contract
 1-6     for legal services that purports to bind a school district for a
 1-7     fixed term of longer than one year may be voided by the district.
 1-8           (b)  This section does not apply to a contract for the
 1-9     provision of legal services:
1-10                 (1)  by a salaried employee of the district;
1-11                 (2)  to collect delinquent property taxes for the
1-12     district;
1-13                 (3)  to represent the district on a contingent fee
1-14     basis; or
1-15                 (4)  to represent the district in specific litigation.
1-16           SECTION 2.  Section 44.042, Education Code, as added by this
1-17     Act, does not apply to a contract for legal services entered into
1-18     by the board of trustees of a school district before the effective
1-19     date of this Act.
1-20           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-21           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-22     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-23     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-24     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-1     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.