1-1     By:  Luna                                              S.B. No. 158
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed January 13, 1999; January 28, 1999,
 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Intergovernmental
 1-4     Relations; March 4, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote:
 1-5     Yeas 5, Nays 0; March 4, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to the creation of three county courts at law in Bexar
 1-9     County.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  Subsection (b), Section 25.0171, Government Code,
1-12     is amended to read as follows:
1-13           (b)  Bexar County has the following county courts at law:
1-14                 (1)  County Court at Law No. 2 of Bexar County, Texas;
1-15                 (2)  County Court at Law No. 3 of Bexar County, Texas;
1-16                 (3)  County Court at Law No. 4 of Bexar County, Texas;
1-17                 (4)  County Court at Law No. 5 of Bexar County, Texas;
1-18                 (5)  County Court at Law No. 6 of Bexar County, Texas;
1-19                 (6)  County Court at Law No. 7 of Bexar County, Texas;
1-20                 (7)  County Court at Law No. 8 of Bexar County, Texas;
1-21     [and]
1-22                 (8)  County Court at Law No. 9 of Bexar County, Texas;
1-23                 (9)  County Court at Law No. 10 of Bexar County, Texas;
1-24                 (10)  County Court at Law No. 11 of Bexar County,
1-25     Texas; and
1-26                 (11)  County Court at Law No. 12 of Bexar County,
1-27     Texas.
1-28           SECTION 2.  Section 25.0172, Government Code, is amended by
1-29     adding Subsection (b) and amending Subsections (c), (d), (l), (n),
1-30     (o), (u), and (v) to read as follows:
1-31           (b)  The County Court at Law No. 10 shall give preference to
1-32     civil cases.
1-33           (c)  The County Courts at Law Nos. 4, [and] 6, 11, and 12
1-34     shall give preference to criminal cases and appeals de novo from
1-35     the municipal and justice courts.
1-36           (d)  The County Courts at Law Nos. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, [and] 9,
1-37     10, 11, and 12 have six terms of court beginning on the first
1-38     Mondays in January, March, May, July, September, and November.  The
1-39     County Court at Law No. 2 has six terms of court beginning on the
1-40     first Mondays in February, April, June, August, October, and
1-41     December.
1-42           (l)  If the judge of the County Court at Law No. 4, 6, 7, 8,
1-43     [or] 9, 10, 11, or 12 is absent, disabled, or disqualified from
1-44     presiding, a special judge may be appointed or elected in the
1-45     manner provided by law for the appointment or election of a special
1-46     county judge.  A special judge must take the oath of office
1-47     required by law for the regular judge.  A special judge has the
1-48     power and jurisdiction of the court and of the regular judge for
1-49     whom the special judge is sitting and may sign orders, judgments,
1-50     decrees, and other process of any kind as "Judge Presiding."  A
1-51     special judge is entitled to receive for services performed the
1-52     same amount of compensation as the regular judge, to be paid out of
1-53     county funds.  The compensation paid a special judge may not be
1-54     deducted from the salary of the regular judge.
1-55           (n)  The criminal district attorney shall attend the County
1-56     Court at Law No. 4, 6, 7, 8, [or] 9, 10, 11, or 12 as required by
1-57     the judge.  The criminal district attorney serves the county courts
1-58     at law as provided by Section 25.0010(b).
1-59           (o)  The judge of the County Court at Law No. 4 or 6 may
1-60     appoint a court coordinator or administrative assistant for the
1-61     court.  The judge of the County Court at Law No. 7, 8, [or] 9, 10,
1-62     11, or 12 may, with the approval of the commissioners court,
1-63     appoint a court coordinator or administrative assistant for the
1-64     court.  A court coordinator or administrative assistant performs
 2-1     the duties prescribed by the judge and cooperates with the
 2-2     administrative judges and state agencies for the uniform and
 2-3     efficient operation of the courts and the administration of
 2-4     justice.  The court coordinator or administrative assistant is
 2-5     entitled to be paid from county funds the compensation, fees, and
 2-6     allowances that are set by the commissioners court or as otherwise
 2-7     provided by law.  These provisions are in addition to the
 2-8     provisions in Subchapter F, Chapter 75.
 2-9           (u)  The official court reporter of a county court at law is
2-10     entitled to receive an annual salary set by the judge and approved
2-11     by the commissioners court at an amount not less than $35,256.  The
2-12     official court reporter's fee shall be taxed as costs in civil
2-13     actions in County Courts at Law Nos. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, [and] 9, 10,
2-14     11, and 12 in the same manner as that fee is taxed in district
2-15     court.  In County Court at Law No. 2, the clerk collects the
2-16     official court reporters' fee of $3 and pays it into the county
2-17     treasury in the same manner as district clerks are required to
2-18     collect and pay costs.
2-19           (v)  Section 25.0006(a) does not apply to County Courts at
2-20     Law Nos. 4, 6, 7, 8, [and] 9, 10, 11, and 12 of Bexar County.
2-21     Section 25.0006(b) does not apply to County Courts at Law Nos. 3,
2-22     4, 5, 6, 7, 8, [and] 9, 10, 11, and 12 of Bexar County.
2-23           SECTION 3.  The County Courts at Law Nos. 10, 11, and 12 of
2-24     Bexar County, Texas, are created and this Act takes effect
2-25     September 1, 1999.
2-26           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-27     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-28     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-29     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-30     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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