85R5579 JTS-F
By: Smithee, Farrar H.B. No. 1021
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to county law libraries.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 323.021, Local Government Code, is
amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c) to
read as follows:
(a) The commissioners court of a county by order may
establish and maintain a county law library at the county seat or
another location determined by the commissioners court.
(c) The commissioners court of a county may establish,
maintain, and operate in cooperation with other counties a joint
free county law library for the benefit of the cooperating counties
in the same manner that a joint county library may be established
and operated under Section 323.010.
SECTION 2. Section 323.023(b), Local Government Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(b) The clerks of the respective courts shall collect the
costs and pay them to the county treasurer, or to any other official
who discharges the duties commonly delegated to the county
treasurer, for deposit in a fund to be known as the county law
library fund. The fund may be used only for:
(1) establishing the law library after the entry of
the order creating it;
(2) purchasing or leasing library materials,
maintaining the library, or acquiring furniture, shelving, or
equipment for the library; [or]
(3) purchasing or leasing library materials or
acquiring library equipment, including computers, software, and
subscriptions to obtain access to electronic research networks for
use by judges in the county; or
(4) establishing and maintaining a self-help center to
provide resources to county residents representing themselves in
legal matters.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2017.