Bill Text: TX HB2638 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to locations for conducting certain court proceedings.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-04-25 - Committee report sent to Calendars [HB2638 Detail]

Download: Texas-2019-HB2638-Introduced.html

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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.