74R9510 RJA-F
          By Alonzo                                             H.B. No. 3145
          Substitute the following for H.B. No. 3145:
          By Alonzo                                         C.S.H.B. No. 3145
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the election of certain county court judges from
    1-3  election subdistricts.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 25, Government Code, is
    1-6  amended by adding Section 25.00031 to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 25.00031.  GEOGRAPHICAL JURISDICTION OF JUDGE ELECTED BY
    1-8  SUBDISTRICT.  A statutory county court judge elected from a
    1-9  subdistrict has the same authority and jurisdiction as a judge
   1-10  elected at large from the entire geographical area of the court.
   1-11        SECTION 2.  Subchapter A, Chapter 25, Government Code, is
   1-12  amended by adding Sections 25.0013 and 25.0017 to read as follows:
   1-13        Sec. 25.0013.  RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT OF JUDGES.  A statutory
   1-14  county court judge elected by subdistrict from an area that is less
   1-15  than the entire county may, but need not, be a resident of the area
   1-16  from which elected.
   1-17        Sec. 25.0017.  ELECTION BY SUBDISTRICT.  (a)  In a county in
   1-18  which this chapter requires election by subdistrict of statutory
   1-19  county court judges, the commissioners court shall draw the
   1-20  subdistricts in accordance with applicable state and federal law.
   1-21        (b)  Subdistricts shall be drawn after each federal decennial
   1-22  census.
   1-23        (c)  The Texas Legislative Council shall give county
    2-1  officials and employees the same access to redistricting facilities
    2-2  as the council gives to state officials and employees.
    2-3        SECTION 3.  Section 25.0009(a), Government Code, is amended
    2-4  to read as follows:
    2-5        (a)  The commissioners court of each county shall appoint a
    2-6  person to fill a vacancy in the office of judge of a statutory
    2-7  county court.  A person appointed to fill a vacancy filled by
    2-8  election from a subdistrict must reside in the subdistrict.
    2-9        SECTION 4.  Section 25.0171, Government Code, is amended by
   2-10  adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:
   2-11        (d)  The statutory county court judges shall be elected from
   2-12  subdistricts drawn by the commissioners court.
   2-13        SECTION 5.  Section 25.0591, Government Code, is amended by
   2-14  adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
   2-15        (e)  The statutory county court judges shall be elected from
   2-16  subdistricts drawn by the commissioners court.
   2-17        SECTION 6.  Section 25.1031, Government Code, is amended by
   2-18  adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:
   2-19        (d)  The statutory county court judges shall be elected from
   2-20  subdistricts drawn by the commissioners court.
   2-21        SECTION 7.  Section 25.2221, Government Code, is amended by
   2-22  adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
   2-23        (e)  The statutory county court judges shall be elected from
   2-24  subdistricts drawn by the commissioners court.
   2-25        SECTION 8.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995, and
    3-1  applies beginning with the primary and general elections in 1996
    3-2  for terms beginning on or after January 1, 1997.
    3-3        SECTION 9.  The importance of this legislation and the
    3-4  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    3-5  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    3-6  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    3-7  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.