75R12235 MLS-F                           

         By Thompson, Puente, Howard, Solis                    H.B. No. 1682

         Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1682:

         By Thompson                                       C.S.H.B. No. 1682

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the creation of certain judicial districts.

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

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Effective September 1, 1997, Subchapter C,

 1-5     Chapter 24, Government Code, is amended by adding Sections 24.524,

 1-6     24.538, 24.540, and 24.541 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 24.524.  379TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (BEXAR COUNTY).  (a)

 1-8     The 379th Judicial District is composed of Bexar County.

 1-9           (b)  The 379th District Court shall give preference to

1-10     criminal cases.

1-11           Sec. 24.538.  393RD JUDICIAL DISTRICT (BEXAR COUNTY).  (a)

1-12     The 393rd Judicial District is composed of Bexar County.

1-13           (b)  The 393rd District Court shall give preference to

1-14     juvenile matters.

1-15           Sec. 24.540.  395TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (FORT BEND COUNTY).

1-16     (a)   The 395th Judicial District is composed of Fort Bend County.

1-17           (b)  The 395th District Court shall give preference to civil

1-18     matters.

1-19           Sec. 24.541.  396TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (TARRANT COUNTY).  (a)

1-20     The 396th Judicial District is composed of Tarrant County.

1-21           (b)  The 396th District Court shall give preference to

1-22     criminal cases.

1-23           SECTION 2.  Effective January 1, 1999, Subchapter C, Chapter

1-24     24, Government Code, is amended by adding Sections 24.542 through

 2-1     24.549 to read as follows:

 2-2           Sec. 24.542.  397TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (HARRIS COUNTY).  (a)

 2-3     The 397th Judicial District is composed of Harris County.

 2-4           (b)  The 397th District Court shall give preference to

 2-5     juvenile matters.

 2-6           Sec. 24.543.  398TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (GALVESTON COUNTY).

 2-7     (a)   The 398th Judicial District is composed of Galveston County.

 2-8           (b)  The 398th District Court shall give preference to  cases

 2-9     under the Family Code.

2-10           Sec. 24.544.  399TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (TRAVIS COUNTY).  The

2-11     399th Judicial District is composed of Travis County.

2-12           Sec. 24.545.  400TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (NUECES COUNTY).  (a)

2-13     The 400th Judicial District is composed of Nueces County.

2-14           (b)  The 400th District Court shall give preference to

2-15     juvenile matters.

2-16           Sec. 24.546.  401ST JUDICIAL DISTRICT (CAMERON COUNTY).  (a)

2-17     The 401st Judicial District is composed of Cameron County.

2-18           (b)  The 401st District Court shall give preference to

2-19     juvenile matters and cases under the Family Code.

2-20           Sec. 24.547.  402ND JUDICIAL DISTRICT (WEBB COUNTY).  (a)

2-21     The 402nd Judicial District is composed of Webb County.

2-22           (b)  The 402nd District Court shall give preference to cases

2-23     involving family violence and cases under the Family Code.

2-24           Sec. 24.548.  403RD JUDICIAL DISTRICT (FORT BEND COUNTY).

2-25     (a)   The 403rd Judicial District is composed of Fort Bend County.

2-26           (b)  The 403rd District Court shall give preference to cases

2-27     under the Family Code.

 3-1           Sec. 24.549.  404TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (HIDALGO COUNTY).  The

 3-2     404th Judicial District is composed of Hidalgo County.

 3-3           SECTION 3.  Effective January 1, 2001, Section 24.121,

 3-4     Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

 3-5           Sec. 24.121.  20TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (FALLS, MILAM, AND

 3-6     ROBERTSON COUNTIES [COUNTY]).  (a)  The 20th Judicial District is

 3-7     composed of  Falls, Milam, and Robertson counties [County].

 3-8           (b)  The terms of the 20th District Court begin on the first

 3-9     [third] Mondays in January[, May,] and July [September].

3-10           SECTION 4.  Effective January 1, 1999, Section 24.184,

3-11     Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

3-12           Sec. 24.184.  82ND JUDICIAL DISTRICT (FALLS, MILAM, AND

3-13     ROBERTSON COUNTIES).  (a)  The 82nd Judicial District is composed

3-14     of Falls, Milam, and Robertson counties.

3-15           (b)  The terms of the 82nd District Court begin on the first

3-16     Mondays in January and July.

3-17           SECTION 5.  The initial vacancies in the offices of judges of

3-18     the 397th through 404th Judicial Districts shall be filled by

3-19     election.  The offices exist for purposes of the primary and

3-20     general elections in 1998.  Vacancies after the initial vacancies

3-21     are filled as provided by Section 28, Article V, Texas

3-22     Constitution.

3-23           SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the

3-24     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

3-25     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

3-26     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

3-27     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.