Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1893 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	S.B. No. 1893
	1	+	By: Birdwell, et al. S.B. No. 1893
	2	+	(Smithee)
2	3
3	4
	5	+	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
4	6		AN ACT
5	7		relating to the administrative judicial regions in this state.
6	8		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
7	9		SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 71, Government Code, is
8	10		amended by adding Section 71.038 to read as follows:
9	11		Sec. 71.038. REGIONAL INFORMATION. The council shall
10	12		collect judicial statistics and other pertinent information from
11	13		the presiding judges of each administrative judicial region in this
12	14		state regarding the amount and character of any business transacted
13	15		by the presiding judges. As a duty of office, the presiding judges
14	16		shall report monthly any information required by the council under
15	17		this section.
16	18		SECTION 2. Effective September 1, 2017, Section 74.042,
17	19		Government Code, is amended by amending Subsections (a), (b), (c),
18	20		and (d) and adding Subsections (k) and (l) to read as follows:
19	21		(a) The state is divided into 11 [nine] administrative
20	22		judicial regions.
21	23		(b) The First Administrative Judicial Region is composed of
22	24		the counties of [Anderson, Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee,] Collin,
23		-	Dallas, [Delta,] Ellis, Fannin, [Franklin,] Grayson, [Gregg,
	25	+	Dallas, [Delta,] Ellis, [Fannin, Franklin,] Grayson, [Gregg,
24	26		Harrison, Henderson, Hopkins, Houston, Hunt,] Kaufman, and [Lamar,
25	27		Marion, Morris, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rains, Red River,] Rockwall[,
26	28		Rusk, Shelby, Smith, Titus, Upshur, Van Zandt, and Wood].
27	29		(c) The Second Administrative Judicial Region is composed
28	30		of the counties of Angelina, Bastrop, [Brazoria,] Brazos, Burleson,
29	31		Chambers, [Fort Bend, Freestone, Galveston,] Grimes, Hardin,
30	32		[Harris,] Jasper, Jefferson, Lee, [Leon,] Liberty, [Limestone,]
31	33		Madison, [Matagorda,] Montgomery, Newton, Orange, Polk,
32	34		[Robertson, Sabine, San Augustine,] San Jacinto, Trinity, Tyler,
33	35		Walker, Waller, and Washington[, and Wharton].
34	36		(d) The Third Administrative Judicial Region is composed of
35	37		the counties of Austin, Bell, Blanco, Bosque, Burnet, Caldwell,
36	38		Colorado, Comal, Comanche, Coryell, Falls, Fayette, Gonzales,
37	39		Guadalupe, Hamilton, Hays, Hill, Lampasas, Lavaca, Llano,
38	40		McLennan, Milam, Navarro, Robertson, San Saba, Travis, and
39	41		Williamson.
40	42		(k) The Tenth Administrative Judicial Region is composed of
41	43		the counties of Anderson, Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Delta,
42		-	Franklin, Freestone, Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Hopkins, ~~Houston,~~
43		-	Hunt, Lamar, Leon, Limestone, Marion, Morris, ~~Nacogdoches, Panola,~~
44		-	Rains, Red River, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, ~~Shelby, Smith,~~
45		-	Titus, Upshur, Van Zandt, and Wood.
	44	+	Fannin, Franklin, Freestone, Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Hopkins,
	45	+	Houston, Hunt, Lamar, Leon, Limestone, Marion, Morris,
	46	+	Nacogdoches, Panola, Rains, Red River, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine,
	47	+	Shelby, Smith, Titus, Upshur, Van Zandt, and Wood.
46	48		(l) The Eleventh Administrative Judicial Region is composed
47	49		of the counties of Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris,
48	50		Matagorda, and Wharton.
49	51		SECTION 3. Section 74.254(a), Government Code, is amended
50	52		to read as follows:
51	53		(a) The judicial committee for additional resources is
52	54		composed of:
53	55		(1) the chief justice of the supreme court; and
54	56		(2) the [nine] presiding judges of the administrative
55	57		judicial regions.
56	58		SECTION 4. (a) The Tenth and Eleventh Administrative
57	59		Judicial Regions are created on September 1, 2017.
58	60		(b) On September 1, 2017, the governor, with the advice and
59	61		consent of the senate, shall appoint judges to serve as presiding
60	62		judges in the Tenth and Eleventh Administrative Judicial Regions
61	63		and any administrative judicial region in which a vacancy in office
62	64		occurs because the presiding judge of a judicial region is no longer
63	65		qualified to serve as the presiding judge of the region because of
64	66		the composition of the region on that date.
65	67		(c) On September 1, 2017, the county in which a presiding
66	68		judge appointed under Subsection (b) of this section resides shall
67	69		provide adequate quarters for the operation of the applicable
68	70		administrative judicial region.
69	71		(d) Not later than September 1, 2017, the regional presiding
70	72		judges of the First through Ninth Administrative Judicial Regions:
71	73		(1) shall develop and adopt by majority vote budgets
72	74		for the Tenth and Eleventh Administrative Judicial Regions that
73	75		include an assessment for each county included in the area that will
74	76		comprise the new regions; and
75	77		(2) may by majority vote transfer money, as necessary,
76	78		from the existing judicial regions to the Tenth and Eleventh
77	79		Administrative Judicial Regions.
78	80		(e) A judge or associate judge or coordinator assigned or
79	81		appointed to a court in a county included in the First, Second,
80	82		Third, Tenth, or Eleventh Administrative Judicial Region on
81	83		September 1, 2017, continues to serve in that position until
82	84		removed by the regional presiding judge.
83	85		SECTION 5. Except as otherwise provided by this Act, this
84	86		Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of
85	87		all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39,
86	88		Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the
87	89		vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect on the
88	90		91st day after the last day of the legislative session.
89		-	______________________________ ______________________________
90		-	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
91		-	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1893 passed the Senate on
92		-	May 4, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1; and that the
93		-	Senate concurred in House amendment on May 26, 2017, by the
94		-	following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1.
95		-	______________________________
96		-	Secretary of the Senate
97		-	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1893 passed the House, with
98		-	amendment, on May 22, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 145,
99		-	Nays 1, one present not voting.
100		-	______________________________
101		-	Chief Clerk of the House
102		-	Approved:
103		-	______________________________
104		-	Date
105		-	______________________________
106		-	Governor