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.