AN ACT
 1-1     relating to the sale of real property by counties.
 1-2           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-3           SECTION 1.  Section 263.008, Local Government Code, is
 1-4     amended to read as follows:
 1-5           Sec. 263.008.  REAL ESTATE BROKER [REALTOR] AGREEMENTS AND
 1-6     FEES FOR THE SALE OF REAL PROPERTY.  (a)  In this section, "real
 1-7     estate broker" means a person licensed as a real estate broker
 1-8     under The Real Estate License Act (Article 6573a, Vernon's Texas
 1-9     Civil Statutes).
1-10           (b)  The commissioners court of a county may contract with a
1-11     real estate broker [person licensed under The Real Estate License
1-12     Act (Article 6573a, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes)] to sell a tract
1-13     of real property that is owned by the county.
1-14           (c) [(b)]  The commissioners court of a county may pay a fee
1-15     if a real estate broker [person licensed under The Real Estate
1-16     License Act (Article 6573a, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes)]
1-17     produces a ready, willing, and able buyer to purchase a tract of
1-18     real property [that is owned by the county].
1-19           (d)  If a contract made under Subsection (b) requires a real
1-20     estate broker to list the tract of real property for sale for at
1-21     least 30 days with a multiple-listing service used by other real
1-22     estate brokers in the county, the commissioners court on or after
1-23     the 30th day after the date the property is listed may sell the
1-24     tract of real property to a ready, willing, and able buyer who is
 2-1     produced by any real estate broker using the multiple-listing
 2-2     service and who submits the highest cash offer.
 2-3           (e)  The commissioners court may sell a tract of real
 2-4     property under this section without complying with the requirements
 2-5     for conducting a public auction, including the requirements
 2-6     prescribed by Section 263.001.
 2-7           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-8     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-9     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-10     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-11     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-12     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-13     passage, and it is so enacted.
         _______________________________     _______________________________
             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House
               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1896 passed the Senate on
         May 17, 1999, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0; and that the
         Senate concurred in House amendment on May 29, 1999, by the
         following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Secretary of the Senate
               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1896 passed the House, with
         amendment, on May 26, 1999, by the following vote:  Yeas 144,
         Nays 0, two present not voting.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House
         Approved:
         _______________________________
                     Date
         _______________________________
                   Governor