By Gallego                                             H.B. No. 454
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the priority given to the hearing of certain matters by
    1-3  trial courts and to the duties of local administrative district
    1-4  judges.
    1-5        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-6        SECTION 1.  Section 23.101(a), Government Code, is amended to
    1-7  read as follows:
    1-8        (a)  The trial courts of this state shall regularly and
    1-9  frequently set hearings and trials of pending matters, giving
   1-10  preference to hearings and trials of the following:
   1-11              (1)  an offense under:
   1-12                    (A)  Section 21.11, Penal Code;
   1-13                    (B)  Chapter 22, Penal Code, if the victim of the
   1-14  alleged offense is younger than 17 years of age;
   1-15                    (C)  Section 25.02, Penal Code, if the victim of
   1-16  the alleged offense is younger than 17 years of age; or
   1-17                    (D)  Section 25.06, Penal Code;
   1-18              (2)  temporary injunctions;
   1-19              (3) <(2)>  criminal actions, other than those listed by
   1-20  Subdivision (1), with criminal actions against defendants who are
   1-21  detained in jail pending trial given preference over other criminal
   1-22  actions;
   1-23              (4) <(3)>  election contests and suits under the
   1-24  Election Code;
    2-1              (5) <(4)>  orders for the protection of the family
    2-2  under Section 3.581, 71.11, or 71.12, Family Code;
    2-3              (6) <(5)>  appeals of final rulings and decisions of
    2-4  the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission and claims under the
    2-5  Federal Employers' Liability Act  and the Jones Act;
    2-6              (7) <(6)>  suits for declaratory judgment under Section
    2-7  89.085, Natural Resources Code; and
    2-8              (8) <(7)>  appeals of final orders of the commissioner
    2-9  of the General Land Office under Section 51.3021, Natural Resources
   2-10  Code.
   2-11        SECTION 2.  Subchapter D, Chapter 74, Government Code, is
   2-12  amended by adding Section 74.0921 to read as follows:
   2-13        Sec. 74.0921.  DUTIES OF CERTAIN LOCAL ADMINISTRATIVE
   2-14  DISTRICT JUDGES.  (a)  This section applies only to counties with
   2-15  seven or more district courts.
   2-16        (b)  The local administrative district judge shall monitor
   2-17  the work load of the district courts and shall transfer cases from
   2-18  the docket of one district court to another if necessary to improve
   2-19  the efficiency of the district courts in the county and to improve
   2-20  the administration of justice in the county.
   2-21        (c)  The local administrative district judge shall adopt
   2-22  performance standards for the district courts and shall monitor the
   2-23  district courts' ability to meet those standards.
   2-24        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
   2-25        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-26  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-27  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    3-1  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    3-2  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.