By Ratliff                                              S.B. No. 24

         75R11042 SAW-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the terms of the district courts in Bowie County.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 24.105(d), Government Code, is amended to

 1-5     read as follows:

 1-6           (d)  The terms of the 5th District Court begin:

 1-7                 (1)  in Bowie County on the first Mondays in January

 1-8     and[, April,] July[, and October]; and

 1-9                 (2)  in Cass County on the first Mondays in February,

1-10     May, August, and November.

1-11           SECTION 2.  Section 24.204(b), Government Code, is amended to

1-12     read as follows:

1-13           (b)  The terms of the 102nd District Court begin:

1-14                 (1)  in Bowie County on the first Mondays in January

1-15     and[, April,] July[, and October]; and

1-16                 (2)  in Red River County on the first Mondays in

1-17     February, May, August, and November.

1-18           SECTION 3.  Section 24.381(d), Government Code, is amended to

1-19     read as follows:

1-20           (d)  The terms of the 202nd District Court begin on the first

1-21     Mondays in January and[, April,] July[, and October].  During each

1-22     term of court in Bowie County, the court may sit in Texarkana to

1-23     try, hear, and determine any civil nonjury case, may hear and

1-24     determine motions, agreements, and other nonjury civil matters that

 2-1     come before the court, and may hear and determine any criminal

 2-2     nonjury matters, including pleas of guilty, both felony and

 2-3     misdemeanor, when a jury has been waived.  This subsection does not

 2-4     limit the court's power to hear those matters in Boston.

 2-5           SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 2-6           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-7     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-8     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-9     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-10     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.