1-1 By: Craddick (Senate Sponsor - Bivins) H.B. No. 3188
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 8, 1995;
1-3 May 9, 1995, read first time and referred to Committee on
1-4 Jurisprudence; May 16, 1995, reported favorably by the following
1-5 vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 16, 1995, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to the county courts at law in Midland County.
1-9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-10 SECTION 1. Section 25.1672(a), Government Code, is amended
1-11 to read as follows:
1-12 (a) In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section
1-13 25.0003 and other law, a county court at law in Midland County has
1-14 concurrent jurisdiction with the district court in:
1-15 (1) family law cases and proceedings; and
1-16 (2) civil cases in which the matter in controversy
1-17 exceeds $500 but does not exceed $500,000, excluding interest,
1-18 statutory or punitive damages and penalties, and attorney's fees
1-19 and costs, as alleged on the face of the petition.
1-20 SECTION 2. Section 25.1672, Government Code, is amended by
1-21 adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
1-22 (c) In matters of concurrent jurisdiction, judges of the
1-23 county courts at law and district courts in the county may exchange
1-24 benches and courtrooms and may transfer cases between their dockets
1-25 in the same manner that district court judges exchange benches and
1-26 transfer cases under Section 24.303.
1-27 SECTION 3. Section 25.1672(d), Government Code, is amended
1-28 to read as follows:
1-29 (d) The judge of a county court at law shall be paid an
1-30 annual salary that is at least equal to the amount that is $1,000
1-31 less than the total annual salary, including supplements, of a
1-32 district judge in the county and <90 percent of the annual salary
1-33 paid by the state to a district judge in the county. The salary
1-34 shall be paid out of the county treasury. The judge> is entitled
1-35 to receive travel, educational, <expenses> and necessary office
1-36 expenses, including administrative and clerical assistance, in at
1-37 least the same manner and amount as the county judge. The bailiffs
1-38 and official court reporters of the county courts at law shall
1-39 receive the same compensation, paid in the same manner, as the
1-40 bailiffs and official court reporters of the district courts in the
1-41 county.
1-42 SECTION 4. Section 25.1672(g), Government Code, is amended
1-43 to read as follows:
1-44 (g) The district clerk serves as clerk of the county courts
1-45 at law in cases enumerated in Subsection (a) and Section 25.0003(c)
1-46 <(a)(2)>, and the county clerk serves as clerk of the county courts
1-47 at law in all other cases.
1-48 SECTION 5. Sections 25.1672(e), (h), (i), and (j),
1-49 Government Code, are repealed.
1-50 SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
1-51 SECTION 7. The importance of this legislation and the
1-52 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-53 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-54 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-55 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-56 * * * * *