By Greenberg, Naishtat, Maxey                         H.B. No. 2183

         75R4955 SAW-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to creation of the County Court at Law Number 4 of Travis

 1-3     County.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 25.2291(a), Government Code, is amended

 1-6     to read as follows:

 1-7           (a)  Travis County has the following statutory county courts:

 1-8                 (1)  County Court at Law No. 1 of Travis County, Texas;

 1-9                 (2)  County Court at Law No. 2 of Travis County, Texas;

1-10                 (3)  County Court at Law No. 3 of Travis County, Texas;

1-11                 (4)  County Court at Law Number 4 of Travis County;

1-12                 (5)  County Court at Law Number 5 of Travis County;

1-13                 (6) [(5)]  The County Court at Law Number 6 of Travis

1-14     County; and

1-15                 (7) [(6)]  The County Court at Law Number 7 of Travis

1-16     County.

1-17           SECTION 2.  Section 25.2292, Government Code, is amended by

1-18     adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:

1-19           (c)  The County Court at Law Number 4 of Travis County shall

1-20     give preference to cases in which family violence is alleged,

1-21     including cases under Chapter 71, Family Code.

1-22           SECTION 3.  Notwithstanding Section 25.2291(a)(4), Government

1-23     Code, as amended by this Act, the County Court at Law Number 4 of

1-24     Travis County is created January 1, 1999.

 2-1           SECTION 4.  Notwithstanding Section 25.0009, Government Code,

 2-2     the initial vacancy in the office of judge on creation of the

 2-3     County Court at Law Number 4 of Travis County shall be filled by

 2-4     election.  The office of judge of the County Court at Law Number 4

 2-5     of Travis County exists for purposes of the primary and general

 2-6     election in 1998.  A vacancy after the initial vacancy is filled as

 2-7     provided by Section 25.0009, Government Code.

 2-8           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-9     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-10     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-11     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-12     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.