HBA-LCA S.B. 1436 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1436 By: Duncan Judicial Affairs 5/5/1999 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, a judge must both hear a case and make a ruling in the jurisdiction in which the case has been filed. In rural areas, a judge may sit in different counties during the week or month, causing parties wishing to dispense with pretrial matters, or to have a judge sign an order, to wait until the judge again sits in the county of jurisdiction. S.B 1436 authorizes a judge to address certain pretrial matters outside of the county in which the suit was filed to expedite trial proceedings. Unless a party to the trial objects, a judge may conduct judicial proceedings other than the trial itself in another county, including hearing pretrial matters in a county other than the one in which the suit was originally filed. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or institution. . SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 74.094, Government Code, by adding Subsection (e), to authorize a judge who has jurisdiction over a suit pending in one county to conduct judicial proceedings, except the trial on the merits, in a different county, unless any party objects. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. Makes application of this Act prospective. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.