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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to county law libraries. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 323.021, Local Government Code, is |
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amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c) to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) The commissioners court of a county by order may |
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establish and maintain a county law library at the county seat or |
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another location determined by the commissioners court. |
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(c) The commissioners court of a county may establish, |
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maintain, and operate in cooperation with other counties a joint |
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free county law library for the benefit of the cooperating counties |
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in the same manner that a joint county library may be established |
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and operated under Section 323.010. |
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SECTION 2. Section 323.023(b), Local Government Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(b) The clerks of the respective courts shall collect the |
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costs and pay them to the county treasurer, or to any other official |
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who discharges the duties commonly delegated to the county |
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treasurer, for deposit in a fund to be known as the county law |
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library fund. The fund may be used only for: |
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(1) establishing the law library after the entry of |
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the order creating it; |
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(2) purchasing or leasing library materials, |
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maintaining the library, or acquiring furniture, shelving, or |
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equipment for the library; [or] |
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(3) purchasing or leasing library materials or |
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acquiring library equipment, including computers, software, and |
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subscriptions to obtain access to electronic research networks for |
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use by judges in the county; or |
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(4) establishing and maintaining a self-help center to |
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provide resources to county residents representing themselves in |
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legal matters. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |