Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2638 Latest Draft

Bill / Introduced Version Filed 02/27/2019

                            86R3954 YDB-D
 By: Calanni H.B. No. 2638


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