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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the administrative judicial regions in this state. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 74.042, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 74.042. ADMINISTRATIVE REGIONS. (a) The state is |
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divided into 13 [nine] administrative judicial regions. |
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(b) The First Administrative Judicial Region is composed of |
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the counties of Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, |
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Galveston, Grimes, Harris, Waller, and Washington [Anderson,
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Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Collin, Dallas, Delta, Ellis, Fannin,
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Franklin, Grayson, Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Hopkins, Houston,
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Hunt, Kaufman, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rains,
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Red River, Rockwall, Rusk, Shelby, Smith, Titus, Upshur, Van Zandt,
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and Wood]. |
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(c) The Second Administrative Judicial Region is composed |
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of the counties of Archer, Clay, Cooke, Denton, Hood, Jack, |
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Montague, Parker, Tarrant, Wichita, Wise, and Young [Angelina,
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Bastrop, Brazoria, Brazos, Burleson, Chambers, Fort Bend,
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Freestone, Galveston, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Jasper, Jefferson,
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Lee, Leon, Liberty, Limestone, Madison, Matagorda, Montgomery,
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Newton, Orange, Polk, Robertson, Sabine, San Augustine, San
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Jacinto, Trinity, Tyler, Walker, Waller, Washington, and Wharton]. |
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(d) The Third Administrative Judicial Region is composed of |
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the counties of Bastrop, [Austin,] Bell, Blanco, [Bosque,] Burnet, |
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Caldwell, Coke, [Colorado,] Comal, Concho, [Comanche, Coryell,
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Falls,] Fayette, [Gonzales, Guadalupe, Hamilton,] Hays, Irion, |
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[Hill,] Lampasas, Lee, [Lavaca,] Llano, McCulloch, [McLennan,] |
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Milam, Mills, Runnels, [Navarro,] San Saba, Schleicher, Sterling, |
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Tom Green, Travis, and Williamson. |
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(e) The Fourth Administrative Judicial Region is composed |
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of the counties of [Aransas,] Atascosa, Bandera, [Bee,] Bexar, |
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Brooks, [Calhoun, DeWitt,] Dimmit, Duval, Edwards, Frio, |
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Gillespie, Guadalupe, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, [Goliad, Jackson,] |
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Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, LaSalle, Mason, [Live Oak,] |
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Maverick, McMullen, Medina, Menard, Real, Starr, Sutton, Uvalde, |
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Val Verde, [Refugio, San Patricio, Victoria,] Webb, Wilson, Zapata, |
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and Zavala. |
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(f) The Fifth Administrative Judicial Region is composed of |
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the counties of Collin, Dallas, Grayson, Hunt, Kaufman, and |
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Rockwall [Brooks, Cameron, Duval, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells,
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Kenedy, Kleberg, Nueces, Starr, and Willacy]. |
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(g) The Sixth Administrative Judicial Region is composed of |
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the counties of Bowie, Camp, Cass, Delta, Fannin, Franklin, Gregg, |
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Harrison, Hopkins, Hunt, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Panola, Red River, |
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Rusk, Titus, Upshur, and Wood [Bandera, Brewster, Crockett,
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Culberson, Edwards, El Paso, Gillespie, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis,
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Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, Mason, McCulloch, Medina, Menard,
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Pecos, Presidio, Reagan, Real, Sutton, Terrell, Upton, Uvalde, and
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Val Verde]. |
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(h) The Seventh Administrative Judicial Region is composed |
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of the counties of Armstrong, Bailey, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, |
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Childress, Cochran, Collingsworth, Cottle, Crosby, Dallam, Deaf |
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Smith, Dickens, Donley, Floyd, Foard, [Andrews, Borden, Brown,
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Callahan, Coke, Coleman, Concho, Crane, Dawson, Ector, Fisher,
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Gaines,] Garza, Gray, Hale, Hall, Hansford, Hardeman, Hartley, |
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Hemphill, Hockley, Hutchinson, [Glasscock, Haskell, Howard, Irion,
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Jones,] Kent, King, Lamb, Lipscomb, Lubbock, Lynn, Moore, Motley, |
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Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Randall, Roberts, Sherman, |
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Swisher, Terry, Wilbarger, Wheeler, and Yoakum [Loving, Lynn,
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Martin, Midland, Mills, Mitchell, Nolan, Reeves, Runnels,
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Schleicher, Scurry, Shackelford, Sterling, Stonewall, Taylor,
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Throckmorton, Tom Green, Ward, and Winkler]. |
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(i) The Eighth Administrative Judicial Region is composed |
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of the counties of Andrews, Brewster, Crane, Crockett, Culberson, |
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El Paso, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Loving, Pecos, Presidio, Reagan, |
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Reeves, Terrell, Upton, Ward, and Winkler [Archer, Clay, Cooke,
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Denton, Eastland, Erath, Hood, Jack, Johnson, Montague, Palo Pinto,
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Parker, Somervell, Stephens, Tarrant, Wichita, Wise, and Young]. |
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(j) The Ninth Administrative Judicial Region is composed of |
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the counties of Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Montgomery, |
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Newton, Orange, Polk, San Jacinto, and Tyler [Armstrong, Bailey,
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Baylor, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Childress, Cochran,
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Collingsworth, Cottle, Crosby, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Dickens,
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Donley, Floyd, Foard, Gray, Hale, Hall, Hansford, Hardeman,
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Hartley, Hemphill, Hockley, Hutchinson, King, Knox, Lamb,
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Lipscomb, Lubbock, Moore, Motley, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer,
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Potter, Randall, Roberts, Sherman, Swisher, Terry, Wheeler,
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Wilbarger, and Yoakum]. |
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(k) The Tenth Administrative Judicial Region is composed of |
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the counties of Bosque, Burleson, Brazos, Coryell, Ellis, Falls, |
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Freestone, Hamilton, Hill, Johnson, Leon, Limestone, Madison, |
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McLennan, Navarro, Robertson, Somervell, and Walker. |
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(l) The Eleventh Administrative Judicial Region is composed |
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of the counties of Baylor, Borden, Brown, Callahan, Coleman, |
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Comanche, Dawson, Eastland, Ector, Erath, Fisher, Gaines, |
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Glasscock, Haskell, Howard, Jones, Knox, Martin, Midland, |
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Mitchell, Nolan, Palo Pinto, Scurry, Shackelford, Stephens, |
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Stonewall, Taylor, and Throckmorton. |
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(m) The Twelfth Administrative Judicial Region is composed |
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of the counties of Anderson, Angelina, Cherokee, Gregg, Henderson, |
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Houston, Nacogdoches, Rains, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, |
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Smith, Trinity, Upshur, Van Zandt, and Wood. |
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(n) The Thirteenth Administrative Judicial Region is |
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composed of the counties of Aransas, Bee, Calhoun, Cameron, DeWitt, |
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Goliad, Gonzales, Hidalgo, Jackson, Kenedy, Kleberg, Lavaca, Live |
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Oak, Matagorda, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, Victoria, Wharton, |
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and Willacy. |
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SECTION 2. Section 74.254(a), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) The judicial committee for additional resources is |
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composed of: |
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(1) the chief justice of the supreme court; and |
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(2) the [nine] presiding judges of the administrative |
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judicial regions. |
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SECTION 3. (a) The Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth, and |
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Thirteenth Administrative Judicial Regions are created on the |
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effective date of this Act. |
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(b) On the effective date of this Act, the governor, with |
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the advice and consent of the senate, shall appoint a judge to serve |
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as presiding judge in each of the Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth, and |
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Thirteenth Administrative Judicial Regions and of any |
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administrative judicial region in which a vacancy in office occurs |
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because the presiding judge of a judicial region is no longer |
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qualified to serve as the presiding judge of the region because of |
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the composition of the region on the effective date of this Act. |
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(c) On the effective date of this Act, the county in which a |
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presiding judge appointed under Subsection (b) of this section |
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resides shall provide adequate quarters for the operation of the |
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applicable administrative judicial region. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |