By Ellis S.B. No. 1228
76R9224 JMC-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the creation and composition of certain district
1-3 courts.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Effective September 1, 1999, Subchapter C,
1-6 Chapter 24, Government Code, is amended by adding Sections 24.524,
1-7 24.531-24.536, 24.538, and 24.540-24.547 to read as follows:
1-8 Sec. 24.524. 379TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (BEXAR COUNTY). (a)
1-9 The 379th Judicial District is composed of Bexar County.
1-10 (b) The 379th District Court shall give preference to
1-11 criminal cases.
1-12 Sec. 24.531. 386TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (BEXAR COUNTY). (a)
1-13 The 386th Judicial District is composed of Bexar County.
1-14 (b) The 386th District Court shall give preference to civil
1-15 cases.
1-16 Sec. 24.532. 387TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (BEXAR COUNTY). (a)
1-17 The 387th Judicial District is composed of Bexar County.
1-18 (b) The 387th District Court shall give preference to
1-19 juvenile matters.
1-20 Sec. 24.533. 388TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (BEXAR COUNTY). (a)
1-21 The 388th Judicial District is composed of Bexar County.
1-22 (b) The 388th District Court shall give preference to
1-23 criminal cases.
1-24 Sec. 24.534. 389TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (BEXAR COUNTY). (a)
2-1 The 389th Judicial District is composed of Bexar County.
2-2 (b) The 389th District Court shall give preference to civil
2-3 cases.
2-4 Sec. 24.535. 390TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (EL PASO COUNTY). The
2-5 390th Judicial District is composed of El Paso County.
2-6 Sec. 24.536. 391ST JUDICIAL DISTRICT (EL PASO COUNTY). (a)
2-7 The 391st Judicial District is composed of El Paso County.
2-8 (b) The 391st District Court shall give preference to family
2-9 law matters.
2-10 Sec. 24.538. 393RD JUDICIAL DISTRICT (EL PASO COUNTY). (a)
2-11 The 393rd Judicial District is composed of El Paso County.
2-12 (b) The 393rd District Court shall give preference to felony
2-13 criminal law matters.
2-14 Sec. 24.540. 395TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (FORT BEND COUNTY).
2-15 The 395th Judicial District is composed of Fort Bend County.
2-16 Sec. 24.541. 396TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (FORT BEND COUNTY).
2-17 (a) The 396th Judicial District is composed of Fort Bend County.
2-18 (b) The 396th District Court shall give preference to family
2-19 law cases.
2-20 Sec. 24.542. 397TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (COLLIN COUNTY). The
2-21 397th Judicial District is composed of Collin County.
2-22 Sec. 24.543. 398TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (TARRANT COUNTY). (a)
2-23 The 398th Judicial District is composed of Tarrant County.
2-24 (b) The 398th District Court shall give preference to
2-25 criminal cases.
2-26 Sec. 24.544. 399TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (TARRANT COUNTY). (a)
2-27 The 399th Judicial District is composed of Tarrant County.
3-1 (b) The 399th District Court shall give preference to
3-2 criminal cases.
3-3 Sec. 24.545. 400TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (WOOD COUNTY). The
3-4 400th Judicial District is composed of Wood County.
3-5 Sec. 24.546. 401ST JUDICIAL DISTRICT (WILLIAMSON COUNTY).
3-6 The 401st Judicial District is composed of Williamson County.
3-7 Sec. 24.547. 402ND JUDICIAL DISTRICT (DENTON COUNTY). (a)
3-8 The 402nd Judicial District is composed of Denton County.
3-9 (b) The 402nd District Court shall give performance to
3-10 family law matters.
3-11 SECTION 2. Section 24.216, Government Code, is amended to
3-12 read as follows:
3-13 Sec. 24.216. 114TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (SMITH COUNTY [AND WOOD
3-14 COUNTIES]). (a) The 114th Judicial District is composed of Smith
3-15 County [and Wood counties].
3-16 (b) The terms of the 114th District Court [in each county of
3-17 the district] begin on the first Mondays in January and July.
3-18 SECTION 3. Section 24.471, Government Code, is amended to
3-19 read as follows:
3-20 Sec. 24.471. 294TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (VAN ZANDT COUNTY [AND
3-21 WOOD COUNTIES]). (a) The 294th Judicial District is composed of
3-22 Van Zandt County [and Wood counties].
3-23 (b) The 294th District Court has concurrent jurisdiction
3-24 with the county court in [Wood and] Van Zandt County [counties]
3-25 over all matters of civil and criminal jurisdiction, original and
3-26 appellate, in cases over which the county court has jurisdiction
3-27 under the constitution and laws of this state. Matters [In each of
4-1 the counties, matters] and proceedings in the concurrent
4-2 jurisdiction of the 294th District Court and the county court may
4-3 be filed in either court and all cases of concurrent jurisdiction
4-4 may be transferred between the 294th District Court and the county
4-5 court. However, a case may not be transferred from one court to
4-6 another without the consent of the judge of the court to which it
4-7 is transferred, and a case may not be transferred unless it is
4-8 within the jurisdiction of the court to which it is transferred.
4-9 SECTION 4. (a) The 379th, 386th, 387th, 388th, 389th,
4-10 390th, 391st, 393rd, 395th, 396th, 397th, 398th, 399th, 400th,
4-11 401st, and 402nd judicial districts are created September 1, 1999.
4-12 (b) The local administrative district judge shall transfer
4-13 all cases from Wood County that are pending in the 114th District
4-14 Court or the 294th District Court on the effective date of this Act
4-15 to the 400th District Court.
4-16 (c) When a case is transferred from one court to another as
4-17 provided by Subsection (b) of this section, all processes, writs,
4-18 bonds, recognizances, or other obligations issued from the
4-19 transferring court are returnable to the court to which the case is
4-20 transferred, as if originally issued by that court. The obligees
4-21 in all bonds and recognizances taken in and for a court from which
4-22 a case is transferred, and all witnesses summoned to appear in a
4-23 court from which a case is transferred, are required to appear
4-24 before the court to which a case is transferred as if originally
4-25 required to appear before the court to which the transfer is made.
4-26 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the
4-27 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
5-1 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
5-2 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
5-3 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.