HBA-CMT S.B. 542 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 542
By: Nelson
County Affairs
5/6/2001
Engrossed



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, 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.  Senate Bill
542 authorizes the commissioner's court of a county to, under certain
conditions, hold a special term of the court 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

Senate Bill 542 amends the Local Government Code to authorize the county
judge or three county commissioners to call a special term of the court at
a meeting place located in the county and outside the county seat if the
commissioners court agrees to meet in that location and the meeting place
is in a building providing public access that can accommodate the number of
persons expected to attend. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

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