By:  Harris                                           S.B. No. 1383

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to criminal law magistrates in Tarrant County.

 1-2           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-3           SECTION 1.  Subsection (a), Section 54.651, Government Code,

 1-4     is amended to read as follows:

 1-5           (a)  The judges of the district courts of Tarrant County that

 1-6     give preference to criminal cases, [and] the judges of the criminal

 1-7     district courts of Tarrant County, and the judges of the county

 1-8     criminal courts of Tarrant County, with the consent and approval of

 1-9     the Commissioners Court of Tarrant County, shall jointly appoint

1-10     the number of magistrates set by the commissioners court to perform

1-11     the duties authorized by this subchapter.

1-12           SECTION 2.  Subsection (a), Section 54.656, Government Code,

1-13     is amended to read as follows:

1-14           (a)  A judge may refer to a magistrate any criminal case for

1-15     proceedings involving:

1-16                 (1)  a negotiated plea of guilty before the court;

1-17                 (2)  a bond forfeiture;

1-18                 (3)  a pretrial motion;

1-19                 (4)  a postconviction writ of habeas corpus;

1-20                 (5)  an examining trial; [and]

1-21                 (6)  an occupational driver's license; and

1-22                 (7)  any other matter the judge considers necessary and

1-23     proper.

 2-1           SECTION 3.  Section 54.659, Government Code, is amended to

 2-2     read as follows:

 2-3           Sec. 54.659.  COURT REPORTER.  At the request of a party in a

 2-4     felony case, the court shall provide a court reporter to record the

 2-5     proceedings before the magistrate.

 2-6           SECTION 4.  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,

2-11     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-12     passage, and it is so enacted.