SRC-SEW H.B. 351 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.B. 351
By: Truitt (Nelson)
Intergovernmental Relations
5/7/2001
Engrossed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, commissioners court meetings are required to be held at the
county seat, either in the courthouse itself, in an auxiliary courthouse or
annex, a county building that houses offices, or the district courts. These
meetings may occur outside the county seat if they are at the regular
meeting place of another political subdivision in the county or a building
owned by the county, and the commissioners court meets with the governing
body of that subdivision. The commissioners court can meet outside of the
county seat, but still in the county, if the meeting is in a county-owned
building or a building owned by a political subdivision located in the
county and the place where the regular meetings are held cannot accommodate
the number of persons expected to attend a particular meeting.  H.B. 351
authorizes the commissioner's court of a county to, under certain
conditions, hold a special term of the court in a municipality other than
the county seat, but still within the boundaries of the county.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a
state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Sections 81.005(b) and (c), Local Government Code, as
follows: 
 
(b)  Authorizes a special term of the commissioners court to be held at a
meeting place located in the county and outside the county seat under
certain conditions.   

(c) Requires the term to be held at certain places except as provided by
Subsections (b) and (f) of this section. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2001.