BWH C.S.H.B. 3190 75(R) BILL ANALYSIS COUNTY AFFAIRS C.S.H.B. 3190 By: Stiles 4-16-97 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND Currently, commissioner's courts are only allowed to authorize nonjury court proceedings outside the municipality designated as the county seat. In some counties, correctional facilities are located outside the municipality designated as the county seat. Inmates must be transported to the municipality for jury trials, causing safety concerns. In Jefferson County, a correctional complex is located between Port Arthur and Beaumont, the county seat. This area is also a possible site for future juvenile justice and court facilities. In the course of transporting prisoners to Beaumont, two escapes have occurred. PURPOSE The bill would allow commissioner's courts to authorize jury trials at auxiliary county seat courts. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 292.002(b), Local Government Code, by striking "nonjury" from the description of permissible auxiliary court proceedings. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1997. SECTION 3. Emergency clause. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE The substitute is a Legislative Council draft of the original, and there is no substantive change.