Sec. 82.001.  SURETY BOND AND OATH OF COUNTY CLERK;  SELF-INSURANCE.  (a)  The county clerk must, before beginning to perform the duties of office, execute a bond either with four or more good and sufficient sureties or with a surety company authorized to do business in the state as a surety.
(b)  In lieu of the clerk obtaining the bond, the county may self-insure against losses that would have been covered by the bond.
(c)  The bond must be:
(1)  approved by the commissioners court;
(2)  made payable to the county;
(3)  conditioned that the clerk will faithfully perform the duties of office; and
(4)  in an amount equal to at least 20 percent of the maximum amount of fees collected in any year during the term of office preceding the term for which the bond is to be given, but not less than $5,000 or more than $500,000.
(d)  The clerk must take and subscribe the official oath, which must be endorsed on the bond if the bond is required.  The bond and oath shall be recorded in the county clerk's office and deposited in the office of the clerk of the district court.
(e)  An injured party in a suit to which the county is a party may use and enter in the record in the suit a certified copy of the bond.
Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 149, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1987.  Amended by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 1, Sec. 9(a), eff. Aug. 28, 1989.