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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to locations for conducting certain court proceedings. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 24.033(b), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) Notwithstanding any other law, if a disaster, as defined |
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by Section 418.004, occurs in a [first tier coastal] county [or a
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second tier coastal county] that precludes a district court from |
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conducting its proceedings at the county seat of that county, the |
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presiding judge of the administrative judicial region, with the |
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approval of the judge of the affected district court, may designate |
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for the proceedings an alternate location: |
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(1) in the judicial district of the affected court; or |
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(2) at the location outside the judicial district |
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closest in proximity to the county seat that allows the court to |
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safely and reasonably [at which the court may] conduct its |
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proceedings. |
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SECTION 2. Section 25.0019(b), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) Notwithstanding any other law, including a specific |
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provision in this chapter for a particular court or county that |
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requires a statutory county court to conduct its proceedings at the |
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county seat, if a disaster, as defined by Section 418.004, occurs in |
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a [first tier coastal] county [or a second tier coastal county] that |
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precludes a statutory county court in that county from conducting |
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its proceedings at the county seat, the presiding judge of the |
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administrative judicial region, with the approval of the judge of |
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the affected statutory county court, may designate for the |
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proceedings an alternate location: |
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(1) in the county; or |
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(2) at the location outside the county closest in |
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proximity to the county seat that allows the court to safely and |
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reasonably [at which the court may] conduct its proceedings. |
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SECTION 3. Section 26.009(b), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) Notwithstanding any other law, including Section |
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26.002(c), if a disaster, as defined by Section 418.004, occurs in a |
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[first tier coastal] county [or a second tier coastal county] that |
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precludes the county court from conducting its proceedings at the |
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county seat, the presiding judge of the administrative judicial |
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region, with the approval of the judge of the affected county court, |
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may designate for the proceedings an alternate location: |
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(1) in the county; or |
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(2) at the location outside the county closest in |
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proximity to the county seat that allows the court to safely and |
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reasonably [at which the court may] conduct its proceedings. |
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SECTION 4. Sections 24.033(a), 25.0019(a), and 26.009(a), |
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Government Code, are repealed. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |