BILL ANALYSIS


                                                        H.B. 2405
                                           By: Elkins (Henderson)
                                                    Jurisprudence
                                                          5-25-95
                              Senate Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND

A municipality is prohibited from conducting court proceedings
outside of its borders.  Small municipalities, especially those
which are primarily residential, may not have suitable buildings
for a municipal court to conduct proceedings.  However, some of
these municipalities are already involved in contracts with one
another to share a common police or fire department.  It may
improve the efficiency of these municipalities if they could
conduct proceedings in a common courthouse that resides within the
boundaries of one of the contracting municipalities.

PURPOSE

As proposed, H.B. 2405 allows municipal court proceedings for
municipalities sharing a single police department to occur within
of the contracting party's city limits.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or
agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 29B, Government Code, by adding Section
29.105, as follows:

     Sec. 29.105.  MUNICIPAL COURT PROCEEDINGS IN MUNICIPALITY
     PARTICIPATING IN POLICE DEPARTMENT CONTRACT.  Authorizes a
     municipality that contracts with one or more municipalities
     for the operation of a joint police department to conduct its
     municipal court proceedings within the municipal limits of any
     municipality that is a party to the contract.
SECTION 2. Emergency clause.
           Effective date: upon passage.