By Thompson                                      H.B. No. 591

      75R3301 MLS-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the compensation of certain judges for certain

 1-3     hearings.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Sections 574.031(h) and (i), Health and Safety

 1-6     Code,  are amended to read as follows:

 1-7           (h)  A judge who holds a hearing under this section in

 1-8     hospitals or locations other than the county courthouse is entitled

 1-9     to be reimbursed for the judge's reasonable and necessary expenses

1-10     related to holding a hearing at that location.  The expenses shall

1-11     be:

1-12                 (1)  collected as court costs in an amount set by the

1-13     commissioners court  of the county responsible for the costs of the

1-14     hearing under Section 571.018(a); and

1-15                 (2)  paid directly to the judge.

1-16           (i)  A judge who holds hearings at locations other than the

1-17     county courthouse also may receive a reasonable salary supplement

1-18     in an amount set by the commissioners court of the county

1-19     responsible for the costs of the hearing under Section 571.018(a).

1-20           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-21     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-22     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-23     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-24     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 2-1     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 2-2     passage, and it is so enacted.

 3-1                          COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1

 3-2           Amend H.B. No. 591 as follows:

 3-3           (1)  On page 1, line 19, between "571.018(a)" and "." insert

 3-4     "and paid directly to the judge";

 3-5           (2)  Add a new Section 2 to read as follows:

 3-6           SECTION 3.  Section 574.031, Health and Safety Code, is

 3-7     amended by adding subsection (j) to read as follows:

 3-8           (j)  A fee taxed as costs in an amount not to exceed

 3-9     twenty-five dollars may be assessed as a court cost by the judge

3-10     trying a mental health services case against a county responsible

3-11     for payment of cost under Section 571.018 for the services of a

3-12     prosecuting attorney.

3-13           (3)  Add a new Section 3 to read as follows:

3-14           SECTION 4.  Section 571.018(c), Health and Safety Code, is

3-15     amended by amending subsection (4) and adding subsections (5) and

3-16     (6) to read as follows:

3-17                 (4)  expenses of transportation to a department mental

3-18     health facility or to a federal agency;

3-19                 (5)  costs and salary supplements as provided by

3-20     Sections 574.031 (h) and (i); and

3-21                 (6)  prosecutor's fees as authorized under Section

3-22     574.031 (j).

3-23           (4)  Section 2 is renumbered as Section 4.

3-24                                                                   Clark