By Thompson H.B. No. 1608 76R3884 JMC-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the authority of certain county judges to engage in the 1-3 private practice of law. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 26, Government Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Section 26.007 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 26.007. PRIVATE PRACTICE BY COUNTY JUDGE; LIMITATION. 1-8 A county judge who is licensed to practice law in this state may 1-9 engage in the private practice of law, except that the judge may 1-10 not appear or plead as an attorney in the judge's court or in any 1-11 court in this state over which the judge's court exercises 1-12 appellate jurisdiction. 1-13 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 1-14 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-15 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-16 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-17 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 1-18 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 1-19 passage, and it is so enacted.