BILL ANALYSIS S.B. 1415 By: Barrientos Jurisprudence 4-27-95 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND Travis County has four county courts for criminal cases. The legislature has not created a new county court for Travis County since 1987. Travis County is requesting a new county court that would give preference to family violence cases. A family violence court will allow for proper handling and monitoring of these cases. The court can facilitate coordination between various support services within the community and reduce the time between the incident and disposition. Currently, 11 months elapse on average between the incident and the disposition of a family violence case. Family violence cases make up a significant portion of the cases handled by the Travis County Courts at Law. The Austin Police Department reports a 550 percent increase in family violence assault arrests since 1991. From 1989 to 1993, 45 percent of the victims served by the Victim Services Division of the police department were victims of family violence. The next highest category of cases are child sexual abuse which compose 20 percent of the individuals served. From 1985 to 1994, the number of criminal cases filed and disposed in Travis County Courts at Law increased by 62 and 85 percent, respectively. Over the same period, Bexar, Dallas, El Paso, Harris, Nueces, and Tarrant counties experienced an aggregate increase of 7 percent in cases filed and an increase of 18 percent in cases disposed in the county courts. During this same period, the number of assault cases handled in Travis County Courts at Law increased by 1108 percent. PURPOSE As proposed, S.B. 1415 creates the County Court at Law Number 4 of Travis County. 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 Section 25.2291(a), Government Code, to add the County Court at Law Number 4 of Travis County (court) to the list of statutory courts in Travis County. Makes conforming changes. SECTION 2. Amends Section 25.2292, Government Code, to require the court to give preference to cases in which family violence is alleged. SECTION 3. Provides that the court is created January 1, 1997. SECTION 4. Requires the initial vacancy at the court to be filled by election. Provides that the office of judge of the court exists for purposes of the primary and general election in 1996. Requires the qualified voters of the county to elect the initial court judge at the general election in 1996 for a two-year term beginning January 1, 1997. Requires the court judge to be elected thereafter for a four-year term. Provides that a vacancy after the initial vacancy is filled as provided by Section 25.0009, Government Code. SECTION 5. Emergency clause. Effective date: 90 days after adjournment.