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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the locations where the district courts and the courts |
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of appeals may hear cases, hold court, and transact business. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 22, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 22.2011 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 22.2011. LOCATION OF COURT PROCEEDINGS. (a) A court |
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of appeals may hear cases, hold court, and transact its business at |
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the county seat of any county in the court of appeals district as |
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the court determines necessary or convenient. |
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(b) The chief justice of the supreme court may, in the event |
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of an emergency, by order allow a court of appeals to hear cases, |
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hold court, and transact business at the county seat of a county |
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located in an adjacent court of appeals district. This subsection |
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prevails over any provision of this subchapter that requires a case |
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to be heard in a specific county or city. |
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SECTION 2. Section 22.204(b), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) Notwithstanding Section 22.2011(a), [The court may
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transact its business at the county seat of any of the counties
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within its district as the court determines is necessary and
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convenient, except that] all cases originating in Travis County |
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shall be heard and transacted in that county. |
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SECTION 3. Section 22.205(b), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) Notwithstanding Section 22.2011(a), [The court may
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transact its business at the county seat of any of the counties
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within its district, as the court determines is necessary and
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convenient, except that] all cases originating in Bexar County that |
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the court hears shall be heard and transacted in that county. |
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SECTION 4. Section 22.207(b), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) Notwithstanding Section 22.2011(a), the [The] court may |
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transact its business in the City of Texarkana or the county seat of |
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any county in the district as the court determines is necessary or |
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convenient, except that all cases originating in Bowie County shall |
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be heard and transacted in the City of Texarkana. |
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SECTION 5. Section 22.209(b), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) Notwithstanding Section 22.2011(a), [The court may
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transact its business at the county seat of any county in the
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district as the court determines is necessary and convenient,
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except] all cases originating in El Paso County shall be heard and |
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transacted in that county. |
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SECTION 6. Section 22.211(a), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) The Court of Appeals for the Tenth Court of Appeals |
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District shall be held in the City of Waco [or in the county seat of
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any county located within the Tenth Court of Appeals District]. |
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SECTION 7. Section 22.213(c), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(c) Notwithstanding Section 22.2011(a), [The court may
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transact its business in the City of Tyler or at the county seat of
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any county in the district as the court determines is necessary or
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convenient, except that] all cases originating in Smith County |
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shall be heard and transacted in the City of Tyler. |
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SECTION 8. Section 22.214(c), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(c) Notwithstanding Section 22.2011(a), [The court may
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transact its business at the county seat of any county in the
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district as the court determines is necessary and convenient,
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except that:
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[(1)] all cases originating in Nueces County shall be |
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heard and transacted in Nueces County[;] and |
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[(2)] all cases originating in Cameron, Hidalgo, or |
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Willacy County shall be heard and transacted in Cameron, Hidalgo, |
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or Willacy County. |
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SECTION 9. Subchapter A, Chapter 24, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 24.0171 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 24.0171. LOCATION OF EMERGENCY COURT PROCEEDINGS. The |
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chief justice of the supreme court may, in the event of an |
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emergency, by order allow a district court to hear cases, hold |
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court, and transact business at the county seat of another county |
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located in the administrative judicial region in which the district |
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court is located or at the county seat of a county located in an |
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adjacent administrative judicial region. This subsection prevails |
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over any provision of this chapter that requires a case to be heard |
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in a specific county or city. |
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SECTION 10. Sections 22.202(g), 22.203(b), 22.206(b), |
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22.210(c), 22.212(c), and 22.215(c), Government Code, are |
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repealed. |
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SECTION 11. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |