79R4542 RMB-D

By:  Williams                                                     S.B. No. 1490



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the creation of the office of criminal district 
attorney of Chambers County, the abolition of the office of county 
attorney of Chambers County, and the duties of the district 
attorney for the 253rd Judicial District.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 44.001, Government Code, is amended to 
read as follows:  
	Sec. 44.001.  ELECTION.  The voters of each of the following 
counties elect a criminal district attorney:  Anderson, Austin, 
Bastrop, Bexar, Bowie, Brazoria, Caldwell, Calhoun, Cass, 
Chambers, Collin, Comal, Dallas, Deaf Smith, Denton, Eastland, 
Galveston, Grayson, Gregg, Harrison, Hays, Hidalgo, Jackson, 
Jasper, Jefferson, Kaufman, Lubbock, McLennan, Madison, Navarro, 
Newton, Panola, Polk, Randall, Rockwall, San Jacinto, Smith, 
Tarrant, Taylor, Tyler, Upshur, Van Zandt, Victoria, Walker, 
Waller, Wichita, Wood, and Yoakum.
	SECTION 2.  Subchapter B, Chapter 44, Government Code, is 
amended by adding Section 44.136 to read as follows:
	Sec. 44.136.  CHAMBERS COUNTY.  (a)  The criminal district 
attorney of Chambers  County shall attend each term and session of 
the district courts in Chambers County and each term and session of 
the inferior courts of the county held for the transaction of 
criminal business and shall exclusively represent the state in all 
criminal matters before those courts.
	(b)  The criminal district attorney shall perform the duties 
conferred by law on county and district attorneys in the various 
counties and districts.
	(c)  The criminal district attorney shall collect the fees, 
commissions, and perquisites that are provided by law for similar 
services rendered by a district or county attorney.
	(d)  The criminal district attorney is entitled to receive in 
equal monthly installments compensation from the state equal to the 
amount paid by the state to district attorneys.  The state 
compensation shall be paid by the comptroller as appropriated by 
the legislature.
	(e)  The Commissioners Court of Chambers County may 
supplement compensation paid by the state to the criminal district 
attorney.  The supplemental compensation may not exceed $5,000 a 
year.
	SECTION 3.  Section 43.170, Government Code, is amended to 
read as follows:  
	Sec. 43.170.  253RD JUDICIAL DISTRICT.  (a)  The voters of 
Liberty County [the 253rd Judicial District] elect a district 
attorney for the 253rd Judicial District who represents the state 
in that district only in that county and in all cases before the 
75th District Court[, 253rd, and 344th district courts].
	(b)  The Commissioners Court [commissioners court] of 
Liberty County [one or more of the counties comprising the 
district] may supplement the state salary of the district attorney.  
The supplemental compensation may not exceed $5,000 a year.  [The 
Commissioners Court of Chambers County shall pay 40 percent of any 
supplemental compensation, and the Commissioners Court of Liberty 
County shall pay 60 percent.]  The supplemental compensation must 
be paid from the officers' salary fund of the county.  If the 
officers' salary fund of a county is not adequate, the 
commissioners court may transfer the necessary amount from the 
general fund of the county.
	SECTION 4.  The office of county attorney of Chambers County 
is abolished on the effective date of this Act.
	SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.