1-1     By:  Greenberg, Naishtat, Maxey                       H.B. No. 2183

 1-2          (Senate Sponsor - Barrientos)

 1-3           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 8, 1997;

 1-4     May 9, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on

 1-5     Jurisprudence; May 15, 1997, reported favorably by the following

 1-6     vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 15, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-7                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-8                                   AN ACT

 1-9     relating to creation of the County Court at Law Number 4 of Travis

1-10     County.

1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-12           SECTION 1.  Section 25.2291(a), Government Code, is amended

1-13     to read as follows:

1-14           (a)  Travis County has the following statutory county courts:

1-15                 (1)  County Court at Law No. 1 of Travis County, Texas;

1-16                 (2)  County Court at Law No. 2 of Travis County, Texas;

1-17                 (3)  County Court at Law No. 3 of Travis County, Texas;

1-18                 (4)  County Court at Law Number 4 of Travis County;

1-19                 (5)  County Court at Law Number 5 of Travis County;

1-20                 (6) [(5)]  The County Court at Law Number 6 of Travis

1-21     County; and

1-22                 (7) [(6)]  The County Court at Law Number 7 of Travis

1-23     County.

1-24           SECTION 2.  Section 25.2292, Government Code, is amended by

1-25     adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:

1-26           (c)  The County Court at Law Number 4 of Travis County shall

1-27     give preference to cases in which family violence is alleged,

1-28     including cases under Chapter 71, Family Code.

1-29           SECTION 3.  Notwithstanding Section 25.2291(a)(4), Government

1-30     Code, as amended by this Act, the County Court at Law Number 4 of

1-31     Travis County is created January 1, 1999.

1-32           SECTION 4.  Notwithstanding Section 25.0009, Government Code,

1-33     the initial vacancy in the office of judge on creation of the

1-34     County Court at Law Number 4 of Travis County shall be filled by

1-35     election.  The office of judge of the County Court at Law Number 4

1-36     of Travis County exists for purposes of the primary and general

1-37     election in 1998.  A vacancy after the initial vacancy is filled as

1-38     provided by Section 25.0009, Government Code.

1-39           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-40     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-41     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-42     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-43     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

1-44                                  * * * * *