By Oliveira                                           H.B. No. 3545

         75R7018 MWV-F                           

                                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 district court may transfer to a county court at law

 2-3     any family law case or proceeding, any juvenile matter, or any

 2-4     civil action over which the county court at law has jurisdiction.

 2-5           SECTION 4.  Section 25.0332(j), Government Code, is amended

 2-6     to read as follows:

 2-7           (j)  The district clerk serves as clerk of a county court at

 2-8     law for civil actions transferred under Subsection (b), family law

 2-9     cases and proceedings, and juvenile matters, and the county clerk

2-10     serves as clerk for all other cases.  The county clerk may appoint

2-11     a deputy to attend the county courts at law.

2-12           SECTION 5.  Section 25.0332(k), Government Code, is amended

2-13     to read as follows:

2-14           (k)  The county sheriff shall, either in person or by deputy,

2-15     attend the County Court at Law No. 1 of Cameron County as required

2-16     by the judge.  The county sheriff serves the other county courts at

2-17     law [County Court at Law No. 2 of Cameron County] as provided by

2-18     Section 25.0010(b).

2-19           SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1998.

2-20           SECTION 7.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-21     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-22     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-23     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-24     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.