BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 1481 By: McCall (Shapiro) Jurisprudence 5-17-95 Senate Committee Report (Amended) BACKGROUND The Collin County Commissioners Court voted to ask the 74th Legislature to create an additional court at law for Collin County, to expand the probate jurisdiction of the county's courts at law, and to renumber the existing courts at law. There are currently 185 statutory county courts in Texas. These courts were designed to alleviate the county judge of judicial responsibilities and to ease the docket load of district courts. These courts exist in 74, mostly urban, counties and are funded almost entirely by the counties authorized to establish such courts. Countywide, multimember at-large elections in urban areas exist not only in the context of judicial elections. These systems may result in diluting minority voting strength. Texas is currently defending a number of suits challenging countywide, multimember, at-large elections for judicial candidates in urban areas and is required to preclear changes in its elections system to ensure that racial minority voting strength is not diluted. The U.S. Justice Department has refused to preclear any new multimember, urban district or county courts in Texas since 1989. PURPOSE As proposed, H.B. 1481 creates an additional County Court at Law in Cameron County, renumbers existing county courts at law, and expands the probate jurisdiction for county courts at law in Cameron County. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 25.0451, Government Code, to renumber the first county court at law of Collin County as County Court at Law No. 1 of Collin County, and to include County Court at Law No. 4 of Collin County in the list of Collin County courts at law. SECTION 2. Amends Section 25.0452, Government Code, by adding Subsection (h), to prohibit a person sitting in the capacity of judge in County Court at Law No. 4 of Collin County from sitting as an assigned judge in Bexar, Dallas, Ector, Fort Bend, Harris, Jefferson, Lubbock, Midland, Tarrant, or Travis County. SECTION 3. Provides that the County Court at Law No. 4 of Collin County is created October 1, 1995, or on an earlier date determined by the commissioners court. SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 1995. SECTION 5. Emergency clause.