1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the authority of the commissioners court of a county to
1-3 meet and transact business in a location other than the county
1-4 seat.
1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-6 SECTION 1. Subsections (b) and (c), Section 81.005, Local
1-7 Government Code, are amended to read as follows:
1-8 (b) The county judge or three county commissioners may call
1-9 a special term of the court. A special term may continue until the
1-10 court's business is completed. A special term may be held at a
1-11 meeting place located in the county and outside the county seat if:
1-12 (1) the commissioners court agrees to meet in that
1-13 location; and
1-14 (2) the meeting place is in a building providing
1-15 public access that can accommodate the number of persons expected
1-16 to attend the meeting.
1-17 (c) Except as provided by Subsections (b) and [Subsection]
1-18 (f) of this section, the term shall be held at:
1-19 (1) the county seat at the courthouse;
1-20 (2) an auxiliary courthouse, courthouse annex, or
1-21 another building in the county acquired by the county under Chapter
1-22 292, 293, or 305 or another law, that houses county administration
1-23 offices or county or district courts, located inside the municipal
1-24 limits of the county seat;
1-25 (3) the regular meeting place of another political
2-1 subdivision if:
2-2 (A) the commissioners court meets with the
2-3 governing body of that political subdivision located wholly or
2-4 partly within the county; and
2-5 (B) the regular meeting place of that political
2-6 subdivision is in the county;
2-7 (4) a meeting place in the county in a building owned
2-8 by another political subdivision located wholly or partly in the
2-9 county if:
2-10 (A) the commissioners court meets with the
2-11 governing body of that political subdivision;
2-12 (B) the places where the commissioners court and
2-13 the governing body of the political subdivision regularly hold
2-14 their meetings are not large enough to accommodate the number of
2-15 persons expected to attend the meeting; and
2-16 (C) the meeting place in the building owned by
2-17 the political subdivision is large enough to accommodate the
2-18 expected number of persons; or
2-19 (5) a meeting place in the county in a building owned
2-20 by the county if:
2-21 (A) the place where the commissioners court
2-22 regularly holds its meetings is not large enough to accommodate the
2-23 number of persons expected to attend the meeting; and
2-24 (B) the meeting place in the building owned by
2-25 the county is large enough to accommodate the expected number of
2-26 persons.
3-1 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
3-2 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
3-3 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
3-4 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
3-5 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 542 passed the Senate on
May 3, 2001, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0, one present,
not voting.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 542 passed the House on
May 17, 2001, by the following vote: Yeas 140, Nays 0, two
present, not voting.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
Approved:
_______________________________
Date
_______________________________
Governor