PMWJ C.S.H.B. 3545 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS JUDICIAL AFFAIRS H.B. 3545 By: Oliveira C.S.H.B. 3545 By: Solis 4-16-97 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND With a crowded county court-at-law system, Cameron County is seeking to add an additional County Court at Law to be called County Court at Law No. 3 of Cameron County. With sufficient funds available to fund the new court and the support of the Cameron County Commissioners Court, a third county court is viewed as the best way to relieve the county's backlogged court system. PURPOSE C.S.H.B. 3545 would create a third County Court at Law in Cameron County. 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. Section 25.0331(a), Government Code is amended to include County Court at Law No. 3 of Cameron to its list of statutory county courts. SECTION 2. Section 25.0332(k), Government Code, is amended to state that the county sheriff serves the other county courts at law as provided by Section 25.0010(b). SECTION 3. Effective date. SECTION 4. Emergency clause. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE Section 1 in the substitute is unchanged. Section 2 in the original bill amended Section 25.0332(a), Government Code, to allow a new Cameron County court at law to have concurrent jurisdiction with the district court in family law cases and proceedings and juvenile matters; this does not appear in the substitute. Section 3 in the original bill amended Section 25.0332, Government Code, to add Subsection (b) which states that a district court may transfer an family law case or proceeding, any juvenile matter, or any civil action over which the county court at law has jurisdiction; this does not appear in the substitute. Section 4 amended Section 25.0332(j), Government Code, to state that the district clerk serves as clerk of a county court at law for civil actions transferred under Subsection (b), family law cases and proceedings, and juvenile matters; this does not appear in the substitute. Sections 2, 3 and 4 in the substitute were Sections 5, 6 and 7, respectively, in the original.