By: Shapleigh S.B. No. 1379

(In the Senate - Filed March 7, 2007; March 20, 2007, read first time and referred to Committee on Intergovernmental Relations; April 26, 2007, reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 3, Nays 0; April 26, 2007, sent to printer.)

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1379 By: Nichols

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to reimbursements made to El Paso County by Culberson and Hudspeth Counties for certain costs.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 43.120, Government Code, is amended by amending Subsections (d) and (f) and adding Subsections (d-1) and (d-2) to read as follows:

(d) The commissioners courts of Culberson and Hudspeth counties shall each pay to El Paso County the budgeted prosecution costs [$100 a month to be expended, on sworn claims of the district attorney approved by the Commissioners Court of El Paso County,] for the preparation and conduct of criminal affairs of the district attorney's office, including compensation for assistants and other employees of the district attorney, applicable to their respective county. Each year the district attorney's office shall:

(1) prepare a budget and financial statement for the upcoming fiscal year; and

(2) file the budget and financial statement with the commissioners courts of Hudspeth and Culberson counties.

(d-1) The budget and financial statement required by Subsection (d) must contain:

(1) the budgeted prosecution costs for El Paso, Culberson, and Hudspeth counties, with the costs for each county listed separately; and

(2) any additional information considered appropriate by the district attorney or required by the commissioners court of El Paso, Culberson, or Hudspeth County.

(d-2) Hudspeth and Culberson counties shall remit one-fourth of the budgeted prosecution costs applicable to the respective county to El Paso County not later than the last day of each fiscal quarter.

(f) El Paso County is responsible for managing the funds expended by the district attorney for the preparation and conduct of criminal affairs of the district attorney's office, including funds to compensate assistants and other employees of the district attorney. [The assistants and other employees of the district attorney are compensated by the Commissioners Court of El Paso County.] The Commissioners Court of El Paso County must approve the number of assistants and other employees appointed by the district attorney and the amount of compensation of those employees.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect October 1, 2007.

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