S.B. No. 1893

AN ACT

relating to the administrative judicial regions in this state.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 71, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 71.038 to read as follows:

Sec. 71.038. REGIONAL INFORMATION. The council shall collect judicial statistics and other pertinent information from the presiding judges of each administrative judicial region in this state regarding the amount and character of any business transacted by the presiding judges. As a duty of office, the presiding judges shall report monthly any information required by the council under this section.

SECTION 2. Effective September 1, 2017, Section 74.042, Government Code, is amended by amending Subsections (a), (b), (c), and (d) and adding Subsections (k) and (l) to read as follows:

(a) The state is divided into 11 [nine] administrative judicial regions.

(b) The First Administrative Judicial Region is composed of the counties of [Anderson, Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee,] Collin, Dallas, [Delta,] Ellis, Fannin, [Franklin,] Grayson, [Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Hopkins, Houston, Hunt,] Kaufman, and [Lamar, Marion, Morris, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rains, Red River,] Rockwall[, Rusk, Shelby, Smith, Titus, Upshur, Van Zandt, and Wood].

(c) The Second Administrative Judicial Region is composed of the counties of Angelina, Bastrop, [Brazoria,] Brazos, Burleson, Chambers, [Fort Bend, Freestone, Galveston,] Grimes, Hardin, [Harris,] Jasper, Jefferson, Lee, [Leon,] Liberty, [Limestone,] Madison, [Matagorda,] Montgomery, Newton, Orange, Polk, [Robertson, Sabine, San Augustine,] San Jacinto, Trinity, Tyler, Walker, Waller, and Washington[, and Wharton].

(d) The Third Administrative Judicial Region is composed of the counties of Austin, Bell, Blanco, Bosque, Burnet, Caldwell, Colorado, Comal, Comanche, Coryell, Falls, Fayette, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Hamilton, Hays, Hill, Lampasas, Lavaca, Llano, McLennan, Milam, Navarro, Robertson, San Saba, Travis, and Williamson.

(k) The Tenth Administrative Judicial Region is composed of the counties of Anderson, Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Delta, Franklin, Freestone, Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Hopkins, Houston, Hunt, Lamar, Leon, Limestone, Marion, Morris, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rains, Red River, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Smith, Titus, Upshur, Van Zandt, and Wood.

(l) The Eleventh Administrative Judicial Region is composed of the counties of Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Matagorda, and Wharton.

SECTION 3. Section 74.254(a), Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a) The judicial committee for additional resources is composed of:

(1) the chief justice of the supreme court; and

(2) the [nine] presiding judges of the administrative judicial regions.

SECTION 4. (a) The Tenth and Eleventh Administrative Judicial Regions are created on September 1, 2017.

(b) On September 1, 2017, the governor, with the advice and consent of the senate, shall appoint judges to serve as presiding judges in the Tenth and Eleventh Administrative Judicial Regions and any administrative judicial region in which a vacancy in office occurs because the presiding judge of a judicial region is no longer qualified to serve as the presiding judge of the region because of the composition of the region on that date.

(c) On September 1, 2017, the county in which a presiding judge appointed under Subsection (b) of this section resides shall provide adequate quarters for the operation of the applicable administrative judicial region.

(d) Not later than September 1, 2017, the regional presiding judges of the First through Ninth Administrative Judicial Regions:

(1) shall develop and adopt by majority vote budgets for the Tenth and Eleventh Administrative Judicial Regions that include an assessment for each county included in the area that will comprise the new regions; and

(2) may by majority vote transfer money, as necessary, from the existing judicial regions to the Tenth and Eleventh Administrative Judicial Regions.

(e) A judge or associate judge or coordinator assigned or appointed to a court in a county included in the First, Second, Third, Tenth, or Eleventh Administrative Judicial Region on September 1, 2017, continues to serve in that position until removed by the regional presiding judge.

SECTION 5. Except as otherwise provided by this Act, this Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of the legislative session.

______________________________ ______________________________

President of the Senate Speaker of the House

I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1893 passed the Senate on May 4, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1; and that the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 26, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1.

______________________________ Secretary of the Senate

I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1893 passed the House, with amendment, on May 22, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 145, Nays 1, one present not voting.

______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House

Approved:

______________________________

Date

______________________________

Governor