1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to authorizing county purchasing agents to establish a
 1-3     county purchasing card program.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Sections 262.011(l) and (o), Local Government
 1-6     Code, are amended to read as follows:
 1-7           (l)  The county purchasing agent may have assistants to aid
 1-8     in the performance of the agent's duties.  A person who is
 1-9     authorized by the county purchasing agent to use a county
1-10     purchasing card while making a county purchase is considered an
1-11     assistant of the county purchasing agent to the extent the person
1-12     complies with the rules and procedures prescribed for the use of
1-13     county purchasing cards as adopted by the county purchasing agent
1-14     under Subsection (o).  The county purchasing agent and assistants
1-15     may have any help, equipment, supplies, and traveling expenses that
1-16     are approved and considered advisable by the board that appointed
1-17     the agent.
1-18           (o)  The county purchasing agent shall adopt the rules and
1-19     procedures necessary to implement the agent's duties under this
1-20     section subject to approval by the commissioners court.
1-21     Notwithstanding Subsection (f) or other law, rules and procedures
1-22     adopted under this subsection may include rules and procedures for
1-23     persons to use county purchasing cards to pay for county purchases
1-24     under the direction and supervision of the county purchasing agent.
 2-1           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
 2-2     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
 2-3     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
 2-4     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
 2-5     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
         _______________________________     _______________________________
             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House
               I certify that H.B. No. 1619 was passed by the House on April
         4, 2001, by the following vote:  Yeas 142, Nays 0, 2 present, not
         voting.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House
               I certify that H.B. No. 1619 was passed by the Senate on
         April 26, 2001, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0, 1 present,
         not voting.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Secretary of the Senate
         APPROVED:  __________________________
                              Date
                    __________________________
                            Governor