By Luna                                               H.B. No. 3780
         76R4837 MLS-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the creation of a county court at law in Nueces County.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 25.1801(a), Government Code, is amended
 1-5     to read as follows:
 1-6           (a)  Nueces County has the following statutory county courts:
 1-7                 (1)  County Court at Law No. 1 of Nueces County;
 1-8                 (2)  County Court at Law No. 2 of Nueces County;
 1-9                 (3)  County Court at Law No. 3 of Nueces County; [and]
1-10                 (4)  County Court at Law No. 4 of Nueces County; and
1-11                 (5)  County Court at Law No. 5 of Nueces County.
1-12           SECTION 2.  Sections 25.1802(e), (g), and (i), Government
1-13     Code, are amended to read as follows:
1-14           (e)  The judge of County Court at Law No. 1, 2, or 3 of
1-15     Nueces County may be paid, and the judge of County Court at Law No.
1-16     4 or 5 of Nueces County shall be paid, an annual salary equal to
1-17     the amount that is $1,000 less than the salary paid by the state to
1-18     a district judge in the county.  The salaries shall be paid in the
1-19     same manner and from the same fund as prescribed by law for the
1-20     county judge.
1-21           (g)  If the regular judge of County Court at Law No. 4 or 5
1-22     of Nueces County is absent or disqualified from presiding, a
1-23     special judge may be appointed by the commissioners court.  The
1-24     person appointed must be recommended by the regular judge or, if
 2-1     the judge is unable to recommend a person, by the board of
 2-2     directors of the Nueces County Bar Association.  A special judge is
 2-3     entitled to the same rate of compensation as the regular judge.  A
 2-4     special judge has all the powers, duties, and immunities of the
 2-5     regular judge.
 2-6           (i)  The commissioners court may employ as many deputy
 2-7     sheriffs and bailiffs as are necessary to serve the County Courts
 2-8     at Law Nos. 3, [and] 4, and 5 of Nueces County.
 2-9           SECTION 3.  County Court at Law No. 5 of Nueces County,
2-10     Texas, is created and this Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-11           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-12     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-13     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-14     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-15     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.