H.B. No. 3188
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the county courts at law in Midland County.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Section 25.1672(a), Government Code, is amended
    1-5  to read as follows:
    1-6        (a)  In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section
    1-7  25.0003 and other law, a county court at law in Midland County has
    1-8  concurrent jurisdiction with the district court in:
    1-9              (1)  family law cases and proceedings; and
   1-10              (2)  civil cases in which the matter in controversy
   1-11  exceeds $500 but does not exceed $500,000, excluding interest,
   1-12  statutory or punitive damages and penalties, and attorney's fees
   1-13  and costs, as alleged on the face of the petition.
   1-14        SECTION 2.  Section 25.1672, Government Code, is amended by
   1-15  adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
   1-16        (c)  In matters of concurrent  jurisdiction, judges of the
   1-17  county courts at law and district courts in the county may exchange
   1-18  benches and courtrooms and may transfer cases between their dockets
   1-19  in the same manner that district court judges exchange benches and
   1-20  transfer cases under Section 24.303.
   1-21        SECTION 3.  Section 25.1672(d), Government Code, is amended
   1-22  to read as follows:
   1-23        (d)  The judge of a county court at law shall be paid an
   1-24  annual salary that is at least equal to the amount that is $1,000
    2-1  less than the total annual salary, including supplements, of a
    2-2  district judge in the county and <90 percent of the annual salary
    2-3  paid by the state to a district judge in the county.  The salary
    2-4  shall be paid out of the county treasury.  The judge> is entitled
    2-5  to receive travel, educational, <expenses> and necessary office
    2-6  expenses, including administrative and clerical assistance, in at
    2-7  least the same manner and amount as the county judge.  The bailiffs
    2-8  and official court reporters of the county courts at law shall
    2-9  receive the same compensation, paid in the same manner, as the
   2-10  bailiffs and official court reporters of the district courts in the
   2-11  county.
   2-12        SECTION 4.  Section 25.1672(g), Government Code, is amended
   2-13  to read as follows:
   2-14        (g)  The district clerk serves as clerk of the county courts
   2-15  at law in cases enumerated in Subsection (a) and Section 25.0003(c)
   2-16  <(a)(2)>, and the county clerk serves as clerk of the county courts
   2-17  at law in all other cases.
   2-18        SECTION 5.  Sections 25.1672(e), (h), (i), and (j),
   2-19  Government Code, are repealed.
   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.