Amend HB 844 by striking all below the enacting clause and
substituting the following:
      SECTION 1.  Section 43.101, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
      Sec. 43.101.  ]S1ST JUDICIAL DISTRICT  . The voters of <Newton,>
Sabine<,> and San Augustine counties elect a district attorney for
the 1st Judicial District who represents the state in that district
court only in those counties.
      SECTION 2.  Section 44.001, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
      Sec. 44.001.  ]SELECTION  . The voters of each of the following
counties elect a criminal district attorney:  Anderson, Austin,
Bastrop, Bexar, Bowie, Brazoria, Caldwell, Calhoun, Cass, Collin,
Dallas, Deaf Smith, Denton, Eastland, Galveston, Gregg, Harrison,
Hays, Hidalgo, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Kaufman, Lubbock,
McLennan, Navarro, Newton, Panola, Polk, Randall, Rockwall, San
Jacinto, Smith, Tarrant, Taylor, Tyler, Upshur, Van Zandt,
Victoria, Walker, Waller, Wichita, Wood, and Yoakum.
      SECTION 3.  Subchapter B, Chapter 44, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 44.276 to read as follows:
      Sec. 44.276.  NEWTON COUNTY. (a)  The criminal district
attorney of Newton County must be at least 25 years old and have
been a practicing attorney in this state for five years.
      (b)  The criminal district attorney shall attend each term
and session of the district courts in Newton County and each term
and session of the inferior courts of the county held for the
transaction of criminal business and shall exclusively represent
the state in all criminal matters before those courts.
      (c)  The criminal district attorney shall perform the duties
conferred by law on county and district attorneys in the various
counties and districts.
      (d)  The criminal district attorney shall collect the fees,
commissions, and perquisites that are provided by law for similar
services rendered by a district or county attorney.
      (e)  The criminal district attorney is entitled to receive in
equal monthly installments compensation from the state equal to the
amount paid by the state to district attorneys.  The state
compensation shall be paid by the comptroller as appropriated by
the legislature.
      SECTION 4.  Section 46.002, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
      Sec. 46.002.  ]SPROSECUTORS SUBJECT TO CHAPTER  . This chapter
applies only to the following prosecutors:
            (1)  the district attorneys for the 2nd, 8th, 9th,
12th, 18th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 26th, 27th, 29th, 34th, 35th,
36th, 38th, 43rd, 47th, 49th, 51st, 52nd, 53rd, 63rd, 64th, 66th,
69th, 70th, 76th, 81st, 84th, 85th, 90th, 97th, 105th, 106th,
110th, 118th, 119th, 123rd, 142nd, 145th, 156th, 159th, 173rd,
196th, 198th, 216th, 220th, 229th, 235th, 253rd, 259th, 266th,
268th, 271st, 278th, 286th, 329th, 349th, and 355th judicial
districts;
            (2)  the criminal district attorneys for the counties
of Anderson, Austin, Bastrop, Bexar, Bowie, Brazoria, Caldwell,
Calhoun, Cass, Deaf Smith, Denton, Eastland, Galveston, Gregg,
Harrison, Hays, Hidalgo, Jasper, Jefferson, Kaufman, Lubbock,
McLennan, Navarro, Newton, Panola, Polk, Randall, Rockwall, San
Jacinto, Smith, Tarrant, Taylor, Tyler, Upshur, Van Zandt,
Victoria, Walker, Waller, Wichita, Wood, and Yoakum; and
            (3)  the county attorneys performing the duties of
district attorneys in the counties of Andrews, Callahan, Cameron,
Castro, Ellis, Falls, Fannin, Freestone, Grayson, Lamar, Lamb,
Lampasas, Lee, Limestone, Marion, Milam, Morris, Ochiltree, Orange,
Red River, Robertson, Rusk, Terry, Webb, and Willacy.
      SECTION 5.  The office of county attorney of Newton County is
abolished.
      SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.
      SECTION 7.  The importance of this legislation and the
crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby
suspended.