Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.

      Line and page numbers may not match official copy.

      By Puente                                       H.B. No. 3260

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the redesignation of County Court at Law No. 1 and

 1-3     Probate Court of Bexar County.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 25.0171, Government Code, is amended to

 1-6     read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 25.0171.  BEXAR COUNTY.  (a)  [Bexar County has one

 1-8     county court at law and statutory probate court, the County Court

 1-9     at Law No. 1 and Probate Court of Bexar County, Texas.]

1-10           [(b)]  Bexar County has the following county courts at law:

1-11                 (1)  County Court at Law No. 2 of Bexar County, Texas;

1-12                 (2)  County Court at Law No. 3 of Bexar County, Texas;

1-13                 (3)  County Court at Law No. 4 of Bexar County, Texas;

1-14                 (4)  County Court at Law No. 5 of Bexar County, Texas;

1-15                 (5)  County Court at Law No. 6 of Bexar County, Texas;

1-16                 (6)  County Court at Law No. 7 of Bexar County, Texas;

1-17                 (7)  County Court at Law No. 8 of Bexar County, Texas;

1-18     and

1-19                 (8)  County Court at Law No. 9 of Bexar County, Texas.

1-20           (b) [(c)]  Bexar County also has the following statutory

1-21     probate courts:

1-22                 (1)  Probate Court No. 1 of Bexar County, Texas; [and]

1-23                 (2)  Probate Court No. 2 of Bexar County, Texas; and

1-24                 (3)  Probate Court No. 3 of Bexar County, Texas.

 2-1           SECTION 2.  Sections 25.0173(b), (n), and (o), Government

 2-2     Code, are amended to read as follows:

 2-3           (b)  Probate Court No. 2 and [the County Court at Law No. 1

 2-4     and] Probate Court No. 3 have jurisdiction over all causes and

 2-5     proceedings, civil and criminal, original and appellate, prescribed

 2-6     by law for the County Courts at Law Nos. 2 and 3 of Bexar County.

 2-7     Probate Court No. 2 shall give preference to probate matters and

 2-8     proceedings.

 2-9           (n)  The [County Court at Law No. 1 and] Probate Court No. 3

2-10     of Bexar County has primary responsibility for mental illness

2-11     proceedings.

2-12           (o)  Notwithstanding the local rules adopted under Section

2-13     74.093, the county clerk shall docket all mental health matters in

2-14     the [County Court at Law No.  1 and] Probate Court No. 3 of Bexar

2-15     County, and shall docket all even-numbered probate cases in Probate

2-16     Court No. 2 and all odd-numbered probate cases in Probate Court No.

2-17     1.

2-18           SECTION 3.  Section 25.0172(w), Government Code, is repealed.

2-19           SECTION 4.  The redesignation of County Court at Law No. 1

2-20     and Probate Court of Bexar County, Texas, as the Probate Court No.

2-21     3 of Bexar County, Texas, does not affect the office of judge of

2-22     that court, and the judge, unless otherwise removed, continues to

2-23     serve for the term to which elected.

2-24           SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1998.

2-25           SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-26     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-27     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-28     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-29     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.