By Sibley                                        S.B. No. 878

      75R1761 SAW-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the assignment of cases in district court in certain

 1-3     counties.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 24, Government Code, is

 1-6     amended by adding Section 24.022 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 24.022.  ASSIGNMENT OF CASES IN CERTAIN COUNTIES.

 1-8     Except as provided by Subchapters D and E and notwithstanding any

 1-9     other law, the district clerk in a county with four or more

1-10     district courts shall assign and docket all cases on a rotating

1-11     basis.

1-12           SECTION 2.  Section 24.139(d), Government Code, is amended to

1-13     read as follows:

1-14           (d)  The terms of the 144th, 175th, 186th, 187th, 226th,

1-15     227th, 289th, and 290th district courts [shall give preference to

1-16     criminal cases.  The terms of those courts] begin on the first

1-17     Mondays in January, March, May, July, September, and November.

1-18     Each term continues until the court has disposed of the business

1-19     for that term.

1-20           SECTION 3.  Section 24.205(a), Government Code, is amended to

1-21     read as follows:

1-22           (a)  The 103rd Judicial District is composed of Cameron and

1-23     Willacy counties. [The court shall give preference to civil cases.]

1-24           SECTION 4.  Section 24.207(a), Government Code, is amended to

 2-1     read as follows:

 2-2           (a)  The 105th Judicial District is composed of Kenedy,

 2-3     Kleberg, and Nueces counties.  [The court shall give preference to

 2-4     criminal cases.]

 2-5           SECTION 5.  Section 24.209(a), Government Code, is amended to

 2-6     read as follows:

 2-7           (a)  The 107th Judicial District is composed of Cameron and

 2-8     Willacy counties.  [The court shall give preference to criminal

 2-9     cases.]

2-10           SECTION 6.  Section 24.240(a), Government Code, is amended to

2-11     read as follows:

2-12           (a)  The 138th Judicial District is composed of Cameron and

2-13     Willacy counties.  [The court shall give preference to criminal

2-14     cases.]

2-15           SECTION 7.  Section 24.248(a), Government Code, is amended to

2-16     read as follows:

2-17           (a)  The 147th Judicial District is composed of Travis

2-18     County.  [The court shall give preference to criminal cases.]

2-19           SECTION 8.  Section 24.386(b), Government Code, is amended to

2-20     read as follows:

2-21           (b)  The 207th District Court has the same jurisdiction in

2-22     Comal County as the 22nd District Court has in Comal County [and

2-23     shall give preference to criminal cases in Caldwell, Comal, and

2-24     Hays counties].

2-25           SECTION 9.  The following sections of the Government Code are

2-26     repealed:  Sections 24.139(f), 24.139(k), 24.139(l), 24.175(c),

2-27     24.353(b), 24.362(b), 24.363(b), 24.364(b), 24.365(b), 24.366(b),

 3-1     24.373(b), 24.374(b), 24.376(b), 24.382(b), 24.383(b), 24.384(b),

 3-2     24.387(b), 24.388(b), 24.393(b), 24.394(b), 24.402(b), 24.403(b),

 3-3     24.404(b), 24.405(b), 24.406(b), 24.407(b), 24.408(b), 24.409(b),

 3-4     24.410(b), 24.422(b), 24.423(b), 24.424(b), 24.425(b), 24.429(b),

 3-5     24.431(b), 24.432(b), 24.433(b), 24.434(b), 24.439(b), 24.440(b),

 3-6     24.442(b), 24.456(b), 24.459(b), 24.460(b), 24.462(b), 24.465(b),

 3-7     24.466(b), 24.467(b), 24.468(b), 24.469(b), 24.472(b), 24.474(b),

 3-8     24.475(b), 24.479(b), 24.480(b), 24.483(b), 24.484(b), 24.485(b),

 3-9     24.488(b), 24.491(b), 24.494(b), 24.497(b), 24.498(b), 24.508(b),

3-10     24.516(b), 24.517(b), and 24.522(b).

3-11           SECTION 10.  The importance of this legislation and the

3-12     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

3-13     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

3-14     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

3-15     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.