By Armbrister                                          S.B. No. 669
       74R5527 MLR-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the organization of the district courts in Colorado,
    1-3  Gonzales, Guadalupe, and Lavaca counties and the office of district
    1-4  attorney for the 25th Judicial District.
    1-5        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-6        SECTION 1.  Section 24.126, Government Code, is amended to
    1-7  read as follows:
    1-8        Sec. 24.126.  25TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (<COLORADO, GONZALES,>
    1-9  GUADALUPE COUNTY <, AND LAVACA COUNTIES>).  (a)  The 25th Judicial
   1-10  District is composed of <Colorado, Gonzales,> Guadalupe County<,
   1-11  and Lavaca counties>.
   1-12        (b)  <The 25th District Court has concurrent jurisdiction
   1-13  with the Second 25th District Court.>
   1-14        <(c)> The terms of the 25th District Court begin<:>
   1-15              <(1)  in Colorado County on the first Mondays in
   1-16  February and September;>
   1-17              <(2)  in Gonzales County on the first Mondays in
   1-18  January and June;>
   1-19              <(3)  in Guadalupe County> on the first Mondays in
   1-20  March and October<; and>
   1-21              <(4)  in Lavaca County on the first Mondays in April
   1-22  and November>.
   1-23        <(d)  The judges of the 25th and Second 25th judicial
   1-24  districts may hear and dispose of any suit or proceeding on either
    2-1  court's docket without transferring the suit or proceeding.  The
    2-2  judges may transfer cases from one court to the other by an order
    2-3  entered on the docket of the court from which the matter was
    2-4  transferred.  A case may not be transferred without the permission
    2-5  of the judge of the court to which the case is to be transferred.>
    2-6        SECTION 2.  Section 24.127, Government Code, is amended to
    2-7  read as follows:
    2-8        Sec. 24.127.  SECOND 25TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (COLORADO,
    2-9  GONZALES, <GUADALUPE,> AND LAVACA COUNTIES).  (a)  The Second 25th
   2-10  Judicial District is composed of Colorado, Gonzales, <Guadalupe,>
   2-11  and Lavaca counties.
   2-12        (b)  The terms of the Second 25th District Court begin:
   2-13              (1)  in Colorado County on the first Mondays in April
   2-14  and November;
   2-15              (2)  in Gonzales County on the first Mondays in May and
   2-16  December; and
   2-17              (3)  <in Guadalupe County on the first Mondays in
   2-18  February and September; and>
   2-19              <(4)>  in Lavaca County on the first Mondays in January
   2-20  and June.
   2-21        <(c)  Section 24.126, relating to the 25th District Court,
   2-22  contains provisions applicable to both that court and the Second
   2-23  25th District Court.>
   2-24        SECTION 3.  Section 43.112, Government Code, is amended to
   2-25  read as follows:
   2-26        Sec. 43.112.  25TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT.  (a)  The voters of
   2-27  Colorado, Gonzales, Guadalupe, and Lavaca counties elect a district
    3-1  attorney for the 25th Judicial District <elect a district
    3-2  attorney>.
    3-3        (b)  The district attorney for the 25th Judicial District
    3-4  also acts as district attorney for the Second 25th Judicial
    3-5  District in Colorado, Gonzales, and Lavaca counties.
    3-6        SECTION 4.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
    3-7        (b)  The local administrative district judge shall transfer
    3-8  all cases from Colorado, Gonzales, and Lavaca counties that are
    3-9  pending in the 25th District Court on the effective date of this
   3-10  Act to the Second 25th District Court.
   3-11        (c)  The local administrative district judge shall transfer
   3-12  all cases from Guadalupe County that are pending in the Second 25th
   3-13  District Court on the effective date of this Act to the 25th
   3-14  District Court.
   3-15        (d)  When a case is transferred from one court to another as
   3-16  provided by Subsection (b) or (c) of this section, all processes,
   3-17  writs, bonds, recognizances, or other obligations issued from the
   3-18  transferring court are returnable to the court to which the case is
   3-19  transferred as if originally issued by that court.  The obligees in
   3-20  all bonds and recognizances taken in and for a court from which a
   3-21  case is transferred, and all witnesses summoned to appear in a
   3-22  court from which a case is transferred, are required to appear
   3-23  before the court to which a case is transferred as if originally
   3-24  required to appear before the court to which the transfer is made.
   3-25        SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
   3-26  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   3-27  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    4-1  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    4-2  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.