79R5404 YDB-D

By:  Fraser                                                       S.B. No. 585



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to creation of a judicial district in Blanco, Burnet, 
Llano, and San Saba Counties, to the election of a local 
administrative district judge for those counties, to the juvenile 
board in those counties, and to the district courts in those 
counties.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 24.135, Government Code, is amended by 
adding Subsections (c) and (d) to read as follows:
	(c)  The judge of the 33rd District Court may select jury 
commissioners and impanel grand juries in each county.  The judge of 
the 33rd District Court may alternate the drawing of grand juries 
with the judge of any other district court in each county within the 
33rd Judicial District and may order grand and petit juries to be 
drawn for any term of the court as the judge determines is 
necessary, by an order entered in the minutes of the court.  
Indictments within each county may be returned to either court 
within that county.
	(d)  The 33rd District Court may hear and determine, in any 
county in the district convenient for the court, all preliminary or 
interlocutory matters in which a jury may not be demanded, in any 
case pending in any county in the district regardless of whether the 
case was filed in the county in which the hearing is held.  Unless an 
objection is filed by a party to the suit, the 33rd District Court 
may hear, in any county in the district convenient for the court, 
any nonjury case pending in any county in the district, including 
divorces, adoptions, default judgments, and matters in which 
citation was by publication, regardless of whether the case was 
filed in the county in which the hearing is held.
	SECTION 2.  Subchapter C, Chapter 24, Government Code, is 
amended by adding Section 24.568 to read as follows:
	Sec. 24.568.  424TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (BLANCO, BURNET, 
LLANO, AND SAN SABA COUNTIES).  (a)  The 424th Judicial District is 
composed of Blanco, Burnet, Llano, and San Saba Counties.
	(b)  The jurisdiction of the 424th District Court is 
concurrent with the jurisdiction of the 33rd District Court.
	(c)  The 424th District Court has the same terms of court as 
the 33rd District Court.
	(d)  The judge of the 424th District Court may select jury 
commissioners and impanel grand juries in each county.  The judge of 
the 424th District Court may alternate the drawing of grand juries 
with the judge of any other district court in each county within the 
424th Judicial District and may order grand and petit juries to be 
drawn for any term of the court as the judge determines is 
necessary, by an order entered in the minutes of the court.  
Indictments within each county may be returned to either court 
within that county.
	(e)  The 424th District Court may hear and determine, in any 
county in the district convenient for the court, all preliminary or 
interlocutory matters in which a jury may not be demanded, in any 
case pending in any county in the district regardless of whether the 
case was filed in the county in which the hearing is held.  Unless an 
objection is filed by a party to the suit, the 424th District Court 
may hear, in any county in the district convenient for the court, 
any nonjury case pending in any county in the district, including 
divorces, adoptions, default judgments, and matters in which 
citation was by publication, regardless of whether the case was 
filed in the county in which the hearing is held.
	SECTION 3.  Subchapter D, Chapter 74, Government Code, is 
amended by adding Section 74.097 to read as follows:
	Sec. 74.097.  LOCAL ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICT JUDGE FOR 
BLANCO, BURNET, LLANO, AND SAN SABA COUNTIES.  Notwithstanding 
Section 74.091(b), the local administrative district judge for 
Blanco, Burnet, Llano, and San Saba Counties is elected on the basis 
of seniority from the district judges of the 33rd Judicial District 
and the 424th Judicial District.
	SECTION 4.  Section 152.0221(b), Human Resources Code, is 
amended to read as follows:
	(b)  The [juvenile court] judge of the 33rd District Court is 
the chairman of the board and its chief administrative officer.
	SECTION 5.  Section 152.0331(b), Human Resources Code, is 
amended to read as follows:
	(b)  The [juvenile court] judge of the 33rd District Court is 
the chairman of the board and its chief administrative officer.
	SECTION 6.  Section 152.1561(b), Human Resources Code, is 
amended to read as follows:
	(b)  The [juvenile court] judge of the 33rd District Court is 
the chairman of the board and its chief administrative officer.
	SECTION 7.  Section 152.2121(b), Human Resources Code, is 
amended to read as follows:
	(b)  The [juvenile court] judge of the 33rd District Court is 
the chairman of the board and its chief administrative officer.
	SECTION 8.  The 424th Judicial District is created September 
1, 2005.        
	SECTION 9.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.