By Ramsay                                              H.B. No. 888
         77R947 GWK-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the authority of a county judge to conduct certain
 1-3     inquests.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Article 49.03, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
 1-6     amended to read as follows:
 1-7           Art. 49.03.  POWERS AND DUTIES. (a)  The powers granted and
 1-8     duties imposed on a justice of the peace under this subchapter
 1-9     [article] are independent of the powers and duties of a law
1-10     enforcement agency investigating a death.
1-11           (b)  If a justice of the peace is unavailable to conduct an
1-12     inquest under this article and if the justice of the peace
1-13     consents, the county judge of the county in which the justice of
1-14     the peace serves may conduct the  inquest.  In conducting the
1-15     inquest the county judge may exercise any power and perform any
1-16     duty otherwise granted to or imposed on the justice of the peace
1-17     under this subchapter.
1-18           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
1-19     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
1-20     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
1-21     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
1-22     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.