By Greenberg, Naishtat, Maxey, Combs, Dukes           H.B. No. 3176
       74R5449 RJA-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to creation of the County Court at Law Number 4 of Travis
    1-3  County.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Section 25.2291(a), Government Code, is amended
    1-6  to read as follows:
    1-7        (a)  Travis County has the following statutory county courts:
    1-8              (1)  County Court at Law No. 1 of Travis County, Texas;
    1-9              (2)  County Court at Law No. 2 of Travis County, Texas;
   1-10              (3)  County Court at Law No. 3 of Travis County, Texas;
   1-11              (4)  County Court at Law Number 4 of Travis County;
   1-12              (5)  County Court at Law Number 5 of Travis County;
   1-13              (6) <(5)>  The County Court at Law Number 6 of Travis
   1-14  County; and
   1-15              (7) <(6)>  The County Court at Law Number 7 of Travis
   1-16  County.
   1-17        SECTION 2.  Section 25.2292, Government Code, is amended by
   1-18  adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
   1-19        (c)  The County Court at Law Number 4 of Travis County shall
   1-20  give preference to cases in which family violence is alleged,
   1-21  including cases under Chapter 71, Family Code.
   1-22        SECTION 3.  Notwithstanding Section 25.2291(a)(4), Government
   1-23  Code, as amended by this Act, the County Court at Law Number 4 of
   1-24  Travis County, is created January 1, 1997.
    2-1        SECTION 4.  Notwithstanding Section 25.0009, Government Code,
    2-2  the initial vacancy in the office of judge on creation of the
    2-3  County Court at Law Number 4 of Travis County shall be filled by
    2-4  election.  The office of judge of the County Court at Law Number 4
    2-5  of Travis County exists for purposes of the primary and general
    2-6  election in 1996.  The qualified voters of the county shall elect
    2-7  the initial judge of the County Court at Law Number 4 of Travis
    2-8  County at the general election in 1996 for a two-year term
    2-9  beginning January 1, 1997.  Thereafter, the judge of the County
   2-10  Court at Law Number 4 of Travis County shall be elected for a
   2-11  four-year term as provided by Sections 64 and 65, Article XVI,
   2-12  Texas Constitution.  A vacancy after the initial vacancy is filled
   2-13  as provided by Section 25.0009, Government Code.
   2-14        SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-15  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-16  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-17  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-18  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.