1-1     By:  Barrientos                                       S.B. No. 1314

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 13, 1997; March 18, 1997, read

 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence;

 1-4     April 3, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 7,

 1-5     Nays 0; April 3, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to creation of the County Court at Law Number 4 of Travis

 1-9     County.

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

1-11           SECTION 1.  Subsection (a), Section 25.2291, Government Code,

1-12     is amended to read as follows:

1-13           (a)  Travis County has the following statutory county courts:

1-14                 (1)  County Court at Law No. 1 of Travis County, Texas;

1-15                 (2)  County Court at Law No. 2 of Travis County, Texas;

1-16                 (3)  County Court at Law No. 3 of Travis County, Texas;

1-17                 (4)  County Court at Law Number 4 of Travis County;

1-18                 (5)  County Court at Law Number 5 of Travis County;

1-19                 (6) [(5)]  The County Court at Law Number 6 of Travis

1-20     County; and

1-21                 (7) [(6)]  The County Court at Law Number 7 of Travis

1-22     County.

1-23           SECTION 2.  Section 25.2292, Government Code, is amended by

1-24     adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:

1-25           (c)  The County Court at Law Number 4 of Travis County shall

1-26     give preference to cases in which family violence is alleged,

1-27     including cases under Chapter 71, Family Code.

1-28           SECTION 3.  Notwithstanding Subdivision (4), Subsection (a),

1-29     Section 25.2291, Government Code, as amended by this Act, the

1-30     County Court at Law Number 4 of Travis County is created January 1,

1-31     1999.

1-32           SECTION 4.  Notwithstanding Section 25.0009, Government Code,

1-33     the initial vacancy in the office of judge on creation of the

1-34     County Court at Law Number 4 of Travis County shall be filled by

1-35     election.  The office of judge of the County Court at Law Number 4

1-36     of Travis County exists for purposes of the primary and general

1-37     election in 1998.  A vacancy after the initial vacancy is filled as

1-38     provided by Section 25.0009, Government Code.

1-39           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-40     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-41     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-42     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-43     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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