1-1     By:  Kamel, Glaze (Senate Sponsor - Cain)             H.B. No. 3504

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 14, 1997;

 1-3     April 16, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on

 1-4     Jurisprudence; April 29, 1997, reported favorably by the following

 1-5     vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 0; April 29, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to the jurisdiction of the county courts at law in Smith

 1-9     County.

1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-11           SECTION 1.  Section 25.2142(a-1), Government Code, is amended

1-12     to read as follows:

1-13           (a-1)  A county court at law does not have jurisdiction of:

1-14                 (1)  capital felony cases or felonies of the first or

1-15     second degree;

1-16                 (2)  suits on behalf of the state to recover penalties,

1-17     forfeiture, or escheat;

1-18                 (3)  misdemeanors involving official misconduct; or

1-19                 (4)  contested elections.

1-20           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-21           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-22     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-23     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-24     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-25     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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