Sec. 292.006. BRANCH OFFICE OF COUNTY CLERK. (a) On the request of the county clerk, the commissioners court of a county may provide by any means, operate, and maintain one or more branch offices at any place in the county for the county clerk.

(b) If a branch office is provided under this section in a building owned by the county, the commissioners court shall operate and maintain the building in the same manner that it operates and maintains the county courthouse. The commissioners court shall have care and custody of the building and may place any limitations on the use and maintenance of the building it finds necessary.

(c) The county clerk may authorize one or more of the clerk's deputies to work in the branch office to conduct any business as determined by the county clerk and in accordance with Subsection (d).

(d) If the recording of instruments or documents in the county's official records is permitted at a branch office by the county clerk, the recording must be by electronic means and the electronically recorded instruments or documents must be available without delay to members of the public in the county clerk's office at the county seat. For purposes of this subsection, an instrument or document is available if it is capable of being:

(1) electronically examined by a member of the public in the county clerk's office at the county seat; and

(2) placed into a format and medium that a member of the public can electronically process using technology that is generally available and nonproprietary.

(e) On a daily basis, as directed by the county clerk, a deputy at a branch office shall file all original records made at that office during the previous day with the county clerk's office at the county seat not later than the start of the next business day.

Added by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 1, Sec. 65(a), eff. Aug. 28, 1989. Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 121, Sec. 1, eff. Aug. 30, 1999.