1-1     By:  Merritt (Senate Sponsor - Ratliff)               H.B. No. 3507

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 21, 1997;

 1-3     April 23, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on

 1-4     Jurisprudence; May 6, 1997, reported favorably by the following

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

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to granting the Gregg County Court at Law jurisdiction in

 1-9     family law matters.

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

1-11           SECTION 1.  Section 25.0942, Government Code, is amended by

1-12     adding Subsection (a) to read as follows:

1-13           (a)  In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section

1-14     25.0003 and other law, a county court of law in Gregg County has

1-15     concurrent jurisdiction with the district court in family law cases

1-16     and proceedings.

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

1-18           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-19     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-20     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-21     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-22     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

1-23                                  * * * * *