CREATION OF MANAGED ASSIGNED COUNSEL PROGRAM

(a) The commissioners court of a county, on written approval of a judge of a statutory county court or a district court having family law jurisdiction in the county, may appoint a governmental entity, nonprofit corporation, or local bar association to operate a managed assigned counsel program for the legal representation of: (1) a child in a suit in which appointment is mandatory under Section 107.012; or (2) a parent in a suit in which appointment is mandatory under Section 107.013. (b) The commissioners courts of two or more counties may enter into a written agreement to jointly appoint and fund a governmental entity, nonprofit corporation, or bar association to operate a program that provides legal representation for children, parents, or both children and parents. (c) In appointing an entity to operate a program under this subchapter, the commissioners court shall specify or the commissioners courts shall jointly specify: (1) the types of cases in which the program may appoint counsel under this section, and the courts in which the counsel appointed by the program may be required to appear; and (2) the term of any agreement establishing a program and how the agreement may be terminated or renewed.