By Gallego                                             H.B. No. 785

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to venue in a suit against a political subdivision.

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

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 15, Civil Practice and

 1-5     Remedies Code, is amended by adding Section 15.0151 to read as

 1-6     follows:

 1-7           Sec. 15.0151.  CERTAIN POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS.  (a)  Except

 1-8     as provided by a law not contained in this chapter, an action

 1-9     against a political subdivision that is located in a county with a

1-10     population of 100,000 or less shall be brought in the county in

1-11     which the political subdivision is located. If the political

1-12     subdivision is located in more than one county and the population

1-13     of each county is 100,000 or less, the action shall be brought in

1-14     any county in which the political subdivision is located.

1-15           (b)  In this section, "political subdivision" means a

1-16     governmental entity in this state, other than a county, that is not

1-17     a state agency. The term includes a municipality, school or junior

1-18     college district, hospital district, or any other special purpose

1-19     district or authority.

1-20           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-21           SECTION 3.  This Act applies only to a suit that is commenced

1-22     on or after the effective date of this Act.  A suit that is

1-23     commenced before the effective date of this Act is governed by the

1-24     law applicable to the suit immediately before the effective date of

 2-1     this Act, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.

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

 2-3     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-4     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-5     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-6     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.