1-1  By:  Uher, Saunders (Senate Sponsor - Armbrister)     H.B. No. 2574
    1-2        (In the Senate - Received from the House May 1, 1995;
    1-3  May 2, 1995, read first time and referred to Committee on
    1-4  Jurisprudence; May 16, 1995, reported favorably by the following
    1-5  vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 16, 1995, sent to printer.)
    1-6                         A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-7                                AN ACT
    1-8  relating to the responsibilities of the Matagorda County Attorney
    1-9  and creating the office of district attorney for the 329th Judicial
   1-10  District in Wharton County.
   1-11        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
   1-12        SECTION 1.  Section 43.110, Government Code, is amended by
   1-13  amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsection (d) to read
   1-14  as follows:
   1-15        (a)  The voters of Matagorda County <and Wharton counties>
   1-16  elect a district attorney for the 23rd Judicial District who
   1-17  represents the state in that district court only in that county
   1-18  <those counties>.
   1-19        (b)  The district attorney also represents the state and
   1-20  performs the duties of district attorney before all the district
   1-21  courts in Matagorda County <and Wharton counties>.
   1-22        (d)  The district attorney also handles all:
   1-23              (1)  felony and misdemeanor criminal matters in all of
   1-24  the courts in Matagorda County; and
   1-25              (2)  juvenile matters under Title 3, Family Code, in
   1-26  all of the courts in Matagorda County.
   1-27        SECTION 2.  Subchapter B, Chapter 43, Government Code, is
   1-28  amended by adding Section 43.1775 to read as follows:
   1-29        Sec. 43.1775.  329TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT.  (a)  The voters of
   1-30  the 329th Judicial District elect a district attorney.
   1-31        (b)  The district attorney represents the state and performs
   1-32  the duties of prosecutor before the district courts in Wharton
   1-33  County.
   1-34        SECTION 3.  Subchapter B, Chapter 45, Government Code, is
   1-35  amended by adding Section 45.261 to read as follows:
   1-36        Sec. 45.261.  MATAGORDA COUNTY.  (a)  It is the primary duty
   1-37  of the county attorney in Matagorda County to represent the state,
   1-38  Matagorda County, and the officials of the county in civil matters
   1-39  pending before any court in which the state, Matagorda County, or
   1-40  the officials have matters pending.
   1-41        (b)  The county attorney shall handle children's protective
   1-42  services, protective orders under the Family Code, and proceedings
   1-43  under Title 2, Family Code.
   1-44        (c)  At the request of the district attorney, the county
   1-45  attorney may assist the district attorney in criminal cases in
   1-46  Matagorda County.
   1-47        SECTION 4.  Section 46.002, Government Code, is amended to
   1-48  read as follows:
   1-49        Sec. 46.002.  Prosecutors Subject to Chapter.  This chapter
   1-50  applies only to the following prosecutors:
   1-51              (1)  the district attorneys for the 2nd, 8th, 9th,
   1-52  12th, 18th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 26th, 27th, 29th, 34th, 35th, 36th,
   1-53  38th, 43rd, 47th, 49th, 51st, 52nd, 53rd, 63rd, 64th, 66th, 69th,
   1-54  70th, 76th, 81st, 84th, 85th, 90th, 97th, 105th, 106th, 110th,
   1-55  118th, 119th, 123rd, 142nd, 145th, 159th, 173rd, 196th, 198th,
   1-56  216th, 220th, 229th, 235th, 253rd, 266th, 268th, 271st, 286th,
   1-57  329th, 349th, and 355th judicial districts;
   1-58              (2)  the criminal district attorneys for the counties
   1-59  of Anderson, Austin, Bastrop, Bexar, Bowie, Brazoria, Caldwell,
   1-60  Calhoun, Cass, Deaf Smith, Denton, Eastland, Galveston, Gregg,
   1-61  Harrison, Hays, Hidalgo, Jasper, Jefferson, Kaufman, Lubbock,
   1-62  McLennan, Navarro, Panola, Polk, Randall, Rockwall, San Jacinto,
   1-63  Smith, Tarrant, Taylor, Tyler, Upshur, Van Zandt, Victoria, Walker,
   1-64  Waller, Wichita, Wood, and Yoakum; and
   1-65              (3)  the county attorneys performing the duties of
   1-66  district attorneys in the counties of Andrews, Callahan, Cameron,
   1-67  Castro, Ellis, Falls, Fannin, Freestone, Grayson, Lamar, Lamb,
   1-68  Lampasas, Lee, Limestone, Marion, Milam, Morris, Ochiltree, Orange,
    2-1  Red River, Robertson, Rusk, Terry, Webb, and Willacy.
    2-2        SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
    2-3        SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-4  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-5  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-6  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-7  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
    2-8                               * * * * *