By Cuellar                                       H.B. No. 360

      75R1833 MWV-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to certain courts in Webb County.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 24, Government Code, is

 1-5     amended by adding Section 24.543 to read as follows:

 1-6           Sec. 24.543.  398TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (WEBB COUNTY).

 1-7     (a)  The 398th Judicial District is composed of Webb County.

 1-8           (b)  The 398th District Court shall give preference to cases

 1-9     involving family violence and cases under the Family Code.

1-10                   (c)  In addition to other jurisdiction provided by

1-11     law, the 398th District Court has the civil and criminal

1-12     jurisdiction, including probate and mental health jurisdiction, of

1-13     a county court.  All civil and criminal matters within the

1-14     concurrent jurisdiction of the county and district courts must be

1-15     filed with the county clerk in the county court.

1-16           SECTION 2.  Section 25.2421, Government Code, is amended to

1-17     read as follows:

1-18           Sec. 25.2421.  WEBB COUNTY.  (a)  Webb County has one [the

1-19     following] statutory county court, [courts:]

1-20                 [(1)]  the County Court at Law No. 1 of Webb County[;

1-21     and]

1-22                 [(2)  the County Court at Law No. 2 of Webb County].

1-23           (b)  The County Court at Law No. 1 [county courts at law] of

1-24     Webb County sits [sit] in Laredo.

 2-1           SECTION 3.  (a)  The 398th Judicial District is created and

 2-2     this Act takes effect January 1, 1999.

 2-3           (b)  The initial vacancy in the office of judge of the 398th

 2-4     District Court shall be filled by election.  The office exists for

 2-5     purposes of the primary and general elections in 1998.  A vacancy

 2-6     after the initial vacancy is filled as provided by Section 28,

 2-7     Article V, Texas Constitution.

 2-8           (c)  Not later than December 15, 1998, the judge of the

 2-9     County Court at Law No. 2 of Webb County shall transfer all cases

2-10     pending in the court to the County Court at Law No. 1 of Webb

2-11     County.

2-12           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-13     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-14     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-15     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-16     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.