By: Nelson S.B. No. 1328 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to jurisdiction, operation, and administration of certain 1-2 county courts in Denton County. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Section 25.0632, Government Code, is amended by 1-5 adding Subsections (b) and (h) to read as follows: 1-6 (b) In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section 1-7 25.0003 and other law, the County Court at Law No. 3 of Denton 1-8 County has: 1-9 (1) the general jurisdiction provided by Section 1-10 25.0021 for a statutory probate court; 1-11 (2) concurrent jurisdiction with the district court in 1-12 disputes ancillary to probate, eminent domain, condemnation, or 1-13 landlord and tenant matters relating to the adjudication and 1-14 determination of land titles and trusts, whether testamentary, 1-15 inter vivos, constructive, resulting, or any other class or type of 1-16 trust, regardless of the amount in controversy or the remedy 1-17 sought; 1-18 (3) concurrent jurisdiction with the district court of 1-19 civil forfeitures, including surety bond forfeitures without 1-20 minimum or maximum limitation as to the amount in controversy or 1-21 remedy sought; 1-22 (4) jurisdiction in mental health matters, original or 1-23 appellate, provided by law for constitutional county courts, 1-24 statutory county courts, statutory probate courts, or district 2-1 courts with mental health jurisdiction, including proceedings 2-2 under: 2-3 (A) Subtitle C, Title 7, Health and Safety Code; 2-4 (B) Chapter 462, Health and Safety Code; and 2-5 (C) Subtitle D, Title 7, Health and Safety Code; 2-6 (5) jurisdiction over the collection and management of 2-7 estates of minors, mentally disabled persons, and deceased persons; 2-8 (6) concurrent jurisdiction with the district court in 2-9 all actions by or against a personal representative, in all actions 2-10 involving an inter vivos trust, in all actions involving a 2-11 charitable trust, and in all actions involving a testamentary 2-12 trust, whether the matter is appertaining to or incident to an 2-13 estate; and 2-14 (7) the pendent and ancillary jurisdiction necessary 2-15 to promote judicial efficiency and economy. 2-16 (h) The judge of the County Court at Law No. 3 of Denton 2-17 County on the motion of a party to an action or on the motion of a 2-18 person interested in an estate may transfer to the court from a 2-19 district, county, or statutory court a cause of action relating to 2-20 the adjudication and determination of a land title which is 2-21 appertaining to or incident to an estate pending in the County 2-22 Court at Law No. 3 of Denton County or in which a personal 2-23 representative of an estate pending in the County Court at Law No. 2-24 3 of Denton County is a party and may consolidate the transferred 2-25 cause of action with the other proceedings in the County Court at 2-26 Law No. 3 of Denton County relating to that estate. The judge may 2-27 transfer a cause of action under this subsection only with the 3-1 consent of the judge of the court from which the cause of action is 3-2 transferred. 3-3 SECTION 2. Subsection (g), Section 25.0632, Government Code, 3-4 is repealed. 3-5 SECTION 3. All actions taken and orders entered by a judge 3-6 of a court of record in Denton County in any probate matter in 3-7 Denton County from October 1, 1991, through March 15, 1992, are 3-8 ratified and the judge is deemed to have been duly assigned to the 3-9 appropriate court of competent jurisdiction over probate and mental 3-10 health matters. 3-11 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 3-12 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-13 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-14 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-15 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 3-16 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 3-17 passage, and it is so enacted.