By Oliveira                                            H.B. No. 781
       74R3943 RJA-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the statutory county courts in Cameron County.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Section 25.0331(a), Government Code, is amended
    1-5  to read as follows:
    1-6        (a)  Cameron County has the following statutory county
    1-7  courts:
    1-8              (1)  County Court at Law No. 1 of Cameron County; <and>
    1-9              (2)  County Court at Law No. 2 of Cameron County; and
   1-10              (3)  County Court at Law No. 3 of Cameron County.
   1-11        SECTION 2.  Section 25.0332(a), Government Code, is amended
   1-12  to read as follows:
   1-13        (a)  In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section
   1-14  25.0003 and other law, a county court at law in Cameron County
   1-15  has<:>
   1-16              <(1)  concurrent with the county court, the probate
   1-17  jurisdiction provided by general law for county courts; and>
   1-18              <(2)>  concurrent jurisdiction with the district court
   1-19  in:
   1-20              (1)  family law cases and proceedings; and
   1-21              (2)  juvenile matters <civil cases in which the amount
   1-22  in controversy exceeds $500 but does not exceed $100,000, excluding
   1-23  interest>.
   1-24        SECTION 3.  Section 25.0332, Government Code, is amended by
    2-1  adding Subsection (b) to read as follows:
    2-2        (b)  The County Court at Law No. 3 of Cameron County shall
    2-3  give preference to family law cases and proceedings and juvenile
    2-4  matters.  The district court may transfer to the County Court at
    2-5  Law No. 3 any family law case or proceeding or any juvenile matter
    2-6  over which the county court at law has jurisdiction.
    2-7        SECTION 4.  Section 25.0332(j), Government Code, is amended
    2-8  to read as follows:
    2-9        (j)  The district clerk serves as clerk of a county court at
   2-10  law for family law cases and proceedings and juvenile matters, and
   2-11  the county clerk serves as clerk for all other cases.  The county
   2-12  clerk may appoint a deputy to attend the county courts at law.
   2-13        SECTION 5.  Section 25.0332(k), Government Code, is amended
   2-14  to read as follows:
   2-15        (k)  The county sheriff shall, either in person or by deputy,
   2-16  attend the County Court at Law No. 1 of Cameron County as required
   2-17  by the judge.  The county sheriff serves the other county courts at
   2-18  law <County Court at Law No. 2 of Cameron County> as provided by
   2-19  Section 25.0010(b).
   2-20        SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   2-21        SECTION 7.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-22  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-23  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-24  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-25  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.