By Haggerty                                           H.B. No. 2745

         75R7202 BEM-F                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the location of certain hearings affecting the status

 1-3     of alcoholic beverage permits.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 11.015, Alcoholic Beverage Code, is

 1-6     amended to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 11.015.  HEARING LOCATION.  Notwithstanding any other

 1-8     provision of this code, except for a hearing required to be

 1-9     conducted by a county judge, a hearing related to the issuance,

1-10     renewal, cancellation, or suspension of a permit under this

1-11     subtitle may be conducted:

1-12                 (1)  [only] in the county in which the premises is

1-13     located;

1-14                 (2)  at the nearest permanent hearing office of the

1-15     State Office of Administrative Hearings; or

1-16                 (3)  at any location agreed to by the parties.

1-17           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-18           (b)  The change in law made by this Act applies only to a

1-19     hearing that begins on or after the effective date of this Act.

1-20           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-21     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-22     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-23     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-24     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.