By:  Zaffirini                                        S.B. No. 1652
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to the creation of a statutory county court in Bee County.
    1-2        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-3        SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 25, Government Code, is
    1-4  amended by adding Sections 25.0151 and 25.0152 to read as follows:
    1-5        Sec. 25.0151.  BEE COUNTY.  Bee County has one statutory
    1-6  county court, the County Court at Law of Bee County.
    1-7        Sec. 25.0152.  BEE COUNTY COURT AT LAW PROVISIONS.  (a)  In
    1-8  addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section 25.0003 and other
    1-9  law, a county court at law in Bee County has:
   1-10              (1)  concurrent jurisdiction with the district court in
   1-11  family law cases and proceedings; and
   1-12              (2)  notwithstanding any law granting exclusive
   1-13  jurisdiction to the district court, concurrent jurisdiction with
   1-14  the district court in criminal cases.
   1-15        (b)  A county court at law has concurrent jurisdiction with
   1-16  the justice court in all criminal matters prescribed by law for
   1-17  justice courts.  This subsection does not affect the right of
   1-18  appeal to a county court at law from a justice court where the
   1-19  right of appeal to the county court exists by law.
   1-20        (c)  The judge may appoint a court coordinator or
   1-21  administrative assistant for a county court at law.  A court
   1-22  coordinator or administrative assistant performs the duties
   1-23  prescribed by the judge and cooperates with the administrative
   1-24  judges and state agencies for the uniform and efficient operation
    2-1  of the courts and the administration of justice.  The court
    2-2  coordinator or administrative assistant is entitled to be paid from
    2-3  county funds the compensation, fees, and allowances set by the
    2-4  commissioners court or as otherwise provided by law.
    2-5        (d)  The district clerk serves as clerk of a county court at
    2-6  law in matters of concurrent jurisdiction with the district court,
    2-7  and the county clerk shall serve as clerk of a county court at law
    2-8  in all other cases.  The commissioners court shall provide the
    2-9  deputy clerks, bailiffs, and other personnel necessary to operate a
   2-10  county court at law.
   2-11        (e)  The county attorney and the county sheriff shall attend
   2-12  a county court at law as required by the judge.
   2-13        SECTION 2.  Notwithstanding Section 25.0151, Government Code,
   2-14  as added by this Act, the County Court at Law of Bee County is
   2-15  created January 1, 1998, or on an earlier date determined by the
   2-16  commissioners court by an order entered in its minutes.
   2-17        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-18  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-19  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-20  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-21  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.