The bill, H.B. No. 4462, seeks to authorize certain counties in Texas to contract for outside legal counsel under specific circumstances. It amends the Government Code by adding provisions that allow a county's commissioners court to engage outside legal services when a county official or their staff is involved in a civil action or requires legal counsel due to a potential conflict of interest with the county attorney. The bill specifies that outside legal counsel cannot settle any actions against county officials without the approval of both the official and the commissioners court, and any payments for these services must be authorized by the commissioners court and are subject to audit.

Additionally, the bill modifies existing sections of the Government Code to clarify the applicability of outside legal services, now including counties with populations over 3.3 million. It also introduces a new section that explicitly states that the county attorney cannot provide legal services related to contracts made under this new provision. The changes aim to ensure that county officials can obtain necessary legal representation while maintaining oversight and accountability in the contracting process.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Government Code 2254.152, Government Code 2254.153, Government Code 2254.154 (Government Code 2254)
House Committee Report: Government Code 2254.152, Government Code 2254.153, Government Code 2254.154 (Government Code 2254)