By:  Lindsay                                           S.B. No. 870
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the authority of a commissioners court of a county to
 1-3     authorize certain community and economic development programs.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 381.004, Local Government Code, is
 1-6     amended by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (f) to
 1-7     read as follows:
 1-8           (b)  To stimulate business and commercial activity in a
 1-9     county, the commissioners court of the county may develop and
1-10     administer a program:
1-11                 (1)  for state or local economic development;
1-12                 (2)  for small or disadvantaged business development;
1-13                 (3)  to stimulate, encourage, and develop business
1-14     location and commercial activity in the county; [or]
1-15                 (4)  to promote or advertise the county and its
1-16     vicinity or conduct a solicitation program to attract conventions,
1-17     visitors, and businesses;
1-18                 (5)  to improve the extent to which women and minority
1-19     businesses are awarded county contracts;
1-20                 (6)  to support comprehensive literacy programs for the
1-21     benefit of county residents; or
1-22                 (7)  for the encouragement, promotion, improvement, and
1-23     application of the arts.
1-24           (f)  The commissioners court of a county may support a
1-25     children's advocacy center that provides services to abused
 2-1     children.
 2-2           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
 2-3     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
 2-4     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
 2-5     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
 2-6     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.