By Keel                                                H.B. No. 658
         76R3057 JMC-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the exclusion of certain criminal proceedings from the
 1-3     proceedings that may be referred to a criminal law magistrate in
 1-4     Travis County.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1.  Section 54.976(a), Government Code, is amended to
 1-7     read as follows:
 1-8           (a)  A judge may refer to a magistrate any criminal case for
 1-9     proceedings involving:
1-10                 (1)  a negotiated plea of guilty and sentencing;
1-11                 (2)  a pretrial motion;
1-12                 (3)  an examining trial;
1-13                 (4)  a postconviction writ of habeas corpus;
1-14                 (5)  a bond forfeiture suit;
1-15                 (6)  issuance of search warrants;
1-16                 (7)  setting of bonds;
1-17                 (8)  arraignment of defendants; and
1-18                 (9)  any other matter the judge considers necessary and
1-19     proper other than a contested hearing on a motion to revoke
1-20     community supervision or a motion to adjudicate if the prosecutor
1-21     or the defendant objects to the referral of the contested hearing.
1-22           SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
1-23     to a referral of a criminal proceeding under Section 54.976,
1-24     Government Code, as amended by this Act, made on or after the
 2-1     effective date of this Act.  A referral of a criminal proceeding
 2-2     under Section 54.976, Government Code, as amended by this Act, made
 2-3     before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in
 2-4     effect on the date the referral was made, and the former law is
 2-5     continued in effect for that purpose.
 2-6           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
 2-7           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-8     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-9     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-10     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-11     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.