By:  Lucio                                             S.B. No. 743

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to the preference for hearing juvenile and family law

 1-2     matters in the 197th and 206th district courts.

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

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subsection (b), Section 24.376, Government Code,

 1-5     is amended to read as follows:

 1-6           (b)  The 197th District Court shall give preference to

 1-7     juvenile and family law matters [criminal cases].

 1-8           SECTION 2.  Section 24.385, Government Code, is amended to

 1-9     read as follows:

1-10           Sec. 24.385.  206TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (HIDALGO COUNTY).

1-11     (a)  The 206th Judicial District is composed of Hidalgo County.

1-12           (b)  The 206th District Court shall give preference to

1-13     juvenile and family law matters.

1-14           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-15     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-16     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-17     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-18     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-19     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-20     passage, and it is so enacted.

1-21                          COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1

1-22           Amend S.B. 743 by striking SECTION 2 of the bill and

1-23     substituting the following:

 2-1           SECTION 2.  Section 24.385, Government Code, is amended to

 2-2     read as follows:

 2-3           Sec. 24.385.  206TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (HIDALGO COUNTY).

 2-4     (a)  The 206th Judicial District is composed of Hidalgo County.

 2-5           (b)  A judge of the 206th District Court who has served less

 2-6     than 10 years as judge of that court shall give preference to

 2-7     juvenile and family law matters.

 2-8     75R13477 MWV-D                                             Thompson