By Zaffirini S.B. No. 818
75R5851 MWV-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to certain courts in Webb County.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 24, Government Code, is
1-5 amended by adding Section 24.543 to read as follows:
1-6 Sec. 24.543. 398TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (WEBB COUNTY).
1-7 (a) The 398th Judicial District is composed of Webb County.
1-8 (b) The 398th District Court shall give preference to cases
1-9 involving family violence and cases under the Family Code.
1-10 (c) In addition to other jurisdiction provided by law, the
1-11 398th District Court has:
1-12 (1) the civil and criminal jurisdiction, including
1-13 probate and mental health jurisdiction, of a county court; and
1-14 (2) concurrent jurisdiction with County Court at Law
1-15 No. 1 of Webb County in probate and ancillary matters relating to
1-16 the Texas Probate Code and the Health and Safety Code.
1-17 (d) All cases in the 398th District Court must be filed with
1-18 the county clerk.
1-19 SECTION 2. Section 25.2421, Government Code, is amended to
1-20 read as follows:
1-21 Sec. 25.2421. WEBB COUNTY. (a) Webb County has one [the
1-22 following] statutory county court, [courts:]
1-23 [(1)] the County Court at Law No. 1 of Webb County[;
1-24 and]
2-1 [(2) the County Court at Law No. 2 of Webb County].
2-2 (b) The County Court at Law No. 1 [county courts at law] of
2-3 Webb County sits [sit] in Laredo.
2-4 SECTION 3. Section 25.2422(a), Government Code, is amended
2-5 to read as follows:
2-6 (a) In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section
2-7 25.0003 and other law, a county court at law in Webb County has:
2-8 (1) concurrent jurisdiction with the district court
2-9 in:
2-10 (A) [(1)] family law cases and proceedings;
2-11 (B) [(2)] cases and proceedings involving
2-12 justiciable controversies and differences between spouses, or
2-13 between parents, or between parent and child, or between any of
2-14 these and third persons; and
2-15 (C) [(3)] proceedings to expunge a criminal
2-16 arrest record under Chapter 55, Code of Criminal Procedure; and
2-17 (2) primary and ancillary jurisdiction for all matters
2-18 relating to the Texas Probate Code.
2-19 SECTION 4. The 398th Judicial District is created January 1,
2-20 1999.
2-21 SECTION 5. The initial vacancy in the office of judge of the
2-22 398th District Court shall be filled by election. The office
2-23 exists for purposes of the primary and general elections in 1998.
2-24 A vacancy after the initial vacancy is filled as provided by
2-25 Section 28, Article V, Texas Constitution.
2-26 SECTION 6. All cases filed with the County Court at Law No.
2-27 2 of Webb County on or after January 1, 1993, are transferred to
3-1 the 398th District Court.
3-2 SECTION 7. Sections 1-3 and 6 of this Act take effect
3-3 January 1, 1999.
3-4 SECTION 8. The importance of this legislation and the
3-5 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-6 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-7 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-8 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.