By:  Ellis, Whitmire                                   S.B. No. 285
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to change of venue in criminal cases.
    1-2        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-3        SECTION 1.  Chapter 31, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
    1-4  amended by adding Article 31.011 to read as follows:
    1-5        Art. 31.011.  DEMOGRAPHIC REQUIREMENTS.  In a criminal case
    1-6  in which a change of venue is sought, the judge shall give
    1-7  preference to the county, in the judicial district in which the
    1-8  case is pending or in another district, in which the demographics
    1-9  most closely match those of the county in which the case is
   1-10  pending.  The judge presiding may order a change of venue to a
   1-11  county beyond an adjoining district if such county more closely
   1-12  matches the demographics of the county in which the case is
   1-13  pending.  In this article, "demographics" means the relative
   1-14  proportions of racial minorities in the population, including the
   1-15  proportions of African-Americans, Asian-Americans,
   1-16  Hispanic-Americans, and Native Americans.
   1-17        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
   1-18        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-19  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-20  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-21  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-22  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.