By Gallego                                             H.B. No. 785

         75R603 DLF-D                           

                                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.  Section 15.015, Civil Practice and Remedies Code,

 1-5     is amended to read as follows:

 1-6           Sec. 15.015.  POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS [COUNTIES].  (a)  Except

 1-7     as provided by a law not contained in this chapter, an [An]  action

 1-8     against a political subdivision [county] shall be brought in the

 1-9     [that] county in which the political subdivision is located.  If

1-10     the political subdivision is located in more than one county, the

1-11     action shall be brought in any county in which the political

1-12     subdivision is located.

1-13           (b) In this section, "political subdivision" means a

1-14     governmental entity in the state that is not a state agency and

1-15     includes a county, municipality, school or junior college district,

1-16     hospital district, or any other special purpose district or

1-17     authority.

1-18           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-19           SECTION 3.  This Act applies only to a suit that is commenced

1-20     on or after the effective date of this Act.  A suit that is

1-21     commenced before the effective date of this Act is governed by the

1-22     law applicable to the suit immediately before the effective date of

1-23     this Act, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.

1-24           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-1     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-2     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-3     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-4     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.