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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. Subchapter C, Chapter 71, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 71.038 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 71.038. REGIONAL INFORMATION. The council shall |
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collect judicial statistics and other pertinent information from |
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the presiding judges of each administrative judicial region in this |
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state regarding the amount and character of any business transacted |
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by the presiding judges. As a duty of office, the presiding judges |
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shall report monthly any information required by the council under |
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this section. |
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SECTION 2. Effective September 1, 2017, Section 74.042, |
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Government Code, is amended by amending Subsections (a), (b), (c), |
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and (d) and adding Subsections (k) and (l) to read as follows: |
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(a) The state is divided into 11 [nine] administrative |
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judicial regions. |
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(b) The First Administrative Judicial Region is composed of |
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the counties of [Anderson, Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee,] Collin, |
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Dallas, [Delta,] Ellis, [Fannin, Franklin,] Grayson, [Gregg,
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Harrison, Henderson, Hopkins, Houston, Hunt,] Kaufman, and [Lamar,
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Marion, Morris, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rains, Red River,] Rockwall[,
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Rusk, Shelby, Smith, Titus, Upshur, Van Zandt, and Wood]. |
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(c) The Second Administrative Judicial Region is composed |
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of the counties of Angelina, Bastrop, [Brazoria,] Brazos, Burleson, |
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Chambers, [Fort Bend, Freestone, Galveston,] Grimes, Hardin, |
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[Harris,] Jasper, Jefferson, Lee, [Leon,] Liberty, [Limestone,] |
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Madison, [Matagorda,] Montgomery, Newton, Orange, Polk, |
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[Robertson, Sabine, San Augustine,] San Jacinto, Trinity, Tyler, |
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Walker, Waller, and Washington[, and Wharton]. |
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(d) The Third Administrative Judicial Region is composed of |
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the counties of Austin, Bell, Blanco, Bosque, Burnet, Caldwell, |
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Colorado, Comal, Comanche, Coryell, Falls, Fayette, Gonzales, |
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Guadalupe, Hamilton, Hays, Hill, Lampasas, Lavaca, Llano, |
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McLennan, Milam, Navarro, Robertson, San Saba, Travis, and |
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Williamson. |
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(k) The Tenth Administrative Judicial Region is composed of |
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the counties of Anderson, Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Delta, |
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Fannin, Franklin, Freestone, Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Hopkins, |
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Houston, Hunt, Lamar, Leon, Limestone, Marion, Morris, |
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Nacogdoches, Panola, Rains, Red River, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, |
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Shelby, Smith, Titus, Upshur, Van Zandt, and Wood. |
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(l) The Eleventh Administrative Judicial Region is composed |
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of the counties of Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, |
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Matagorda, and Wharton. |
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SECTION 3. 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 4. (a) The Tenth and Eleventh Administrative |
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Judicial Regions are created on September 1, 2017. |
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(b) On September 1, 2017, the governor, with the advice and |
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consent of the senate, shall appoint judges to serve as presiding |
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judges in the Tenth and Eleventh Administrative Judicial Regions |
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and any administrative judicial region in which a vacancy in office |
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occurs 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 that date. |
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(c) On September 1, 2017, the county in which a presiding |
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judge appointed under Subsection (b) of this section resides shall |
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provide adequate quarters for the operation of the applicable |
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administrative judicial region. |
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(d) Not later than September 1, 2017, the regional presiding |
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judges of the First through Ninth Administrative Judicial Regions: |
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(1) shall develop and adopt by majority vote budgets |
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for the Tenth and Eleventh Administrative Judicial Regions that |
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include an assessment for each county included in the area that will |
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comprise the new regions; and |
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(2) may by majority vote transfer money, as necessary, |
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from the existing judicial regions to the Tenth and Eleventh |
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Administrative Judicial Regions. |
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(e) A judge or associate judge or coordinator assigned or |
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appointed to a court in a county included in the First, Second, |
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Third, Tenth, or Eleventh Administrative Judicial Region on |
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September 1, 2017, continues to serve in that position until |
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removed by the regional presiding judge. |
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SECTION 5. Except as otherwise provided by this Act, this |
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Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of |
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all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, |
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Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the |
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vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect on the |
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91st day after the last day of the legislative session. |