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Panel advances bill to prevent family members jointly signing sheriff expenditures
Summary
The committee reported House Bill 2397 to the full Senate with the recommendation that it pass as amended. Counsel said the bill makes technical, non-substantive changes to prevent family or household members from serving as joint signatories on sheriff expenditures from the county treasury and provides procedures for substitute signatories.
The Senate Government Organization Committee agreed to report House Bill 2397 to the full Senate with the recommendation that it pass as amended, the chair declared after a voice vote.
Committee counsel told the committee the bill “makes only technical non substantive changes.” Counsel said the bill “provides a mechanism for ensuring that family or household members are not joint signatories on a sheriff's expenditures from the county treasury.” Under current law, counsel said, a sheriff must have an order signed by the county commission president and the county clerk authorizing expenditure; if two or more of the president, sheriff and clerk are family or household members, the bill requires the county commission to designate a substitute signatory for the president or sheriff. Counsel said the county clerk is not subject to substitution. The bill also updates language from a reference to “county court clerk” to “county clerk.”
The committee considered and agreed to a strike-and-insert amendment to the bill’s language; the vice chair moved that the bill be reported to the full Senate with the recommendation that it do pass as amended, and the chair declared the motion adopted by voice vote. The lead sponsor was present in the hearing room but did not speak, according to the transcript. The committee then adopted a title amendment by voice vote.
