HBA-CMT H.B. 351 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 351
By: Truitt
County Affairs
2/19/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, regularly scheduled commissioners court meetings are required to
be held at the county seat, either in the courthouse itself, in an
auxiliary courthouse or annex, or a county building that houses offices, or
the district courts.  These meetings may occur outside the county seat if
they are at the regular meeting place of another political subdivision in
the county or a building owned by the county, and the commissioners court
meets with the governing body of that subdivision.  The commissioners court
can meet outside of the county seat, but still in the county,  if the
meeting is in a county-owned building or a building owned by a political
subdivision located in the county and the place where the regular meetings
are held cannot accommodate the number of persons expected to attend a
particular meeting.  House Bill 351 authorizes the commissioner's court of
a county to meet and transact business in a municipality other than the
county seat, but still within the boundaries of the county. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 351 amends the Local Government Code to authorize the
commissioners court of a county to meet and transact business at a meeting
place located in a municipality in the county other than the county seat.
If the commissioners court agrees to meet in the municipality, the bill
provides that the meeting place be in a building providing public access
that can accommodate the number of persons expected to attend the meeting. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001.