BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 3188 By: Craddick 4-25-95 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND Currently, the Midland County Courts at law have jurisdictional limits which impede effective case management in the Midland Courts. Further, the current system for payment for County Court at law judges and bailiffs is not competitive given the scope of the courts' jurisdiction. PURPOSE This bill expands the concurrent jurisdiction of county courts at law and district courts in Midland County. The bill also corrects pay parity between the county courts at law and the district courts. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1 amends Section 25.1672(a), Government Code, to expand the jurisdiction of county courts of law in Midland County, currently given concurrent jurisdiction with the district courts in family law cases, to include civil cases in which the matter of controversy is between $500 and $500,000, excluding interest, damages, and attorney's fees. SECTION 2 amends Section 25.1672, Government Code, by adding Subsection (c) to provide that in matters of concurrent jurisdiction, judges of the county courts at law may exchange benches and courtrooms with district courts, and may transfer cases between their dockets in the same manner that district court judges exchange benches and transfer cases. SECTION 3 amends Section 25.1672(d), Government Code, to change the salary requirements of county courts at law judge from "at least 90 percent of the annual salary...of a district judge," to "at least equal to $1,000 less than the total annual salary, including supplements, of a district judge..." It also provides education to be a reimbursable expense to the same extent as a county judge. Bailiffs and official court reporters of the county courts at law shall receive the same compensation as their counterparts in the district coruts of the county. SECTION 4 amends Section 25.1672(g), Government Code, to change language to be consistent with Section 1 of the bill. SECTION 5. Repeals Secitons 25.1672(e), (h), (i), and (j), Government Code. SECTION 6. Effective date. SECTION 7. Emergency clause. SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION Pursuant to suspension of the five-day posting rule on April 25, 1995, the Committee on Judicial Affairs met in a public hearing on April 25, 1995, to consider House Bill 3188. The Chair laid out H.B. 3188. There were no witnesses. Without objection, H.B. 3188 was left pending. Following subsequent business, the Chair again laid out H.B. 3188 and explained the bill. Rep. Hartnett moved to report H.B. 3188 favorably back to the full House, without amendment, with the recommendation that it do pass, be printed and sent to the Committee on Local and Consent Calendars. The motion prevailed by the following record vote: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 0 PNV and 4 absent.