By Hinojosa                                           H.B. No. 3556

         75R12145 T                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the county courts at law of Hidalgo County.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Sections 25.1102(a), (c), and (f), Government

 1-5     Code, are amended 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 Hidalgo 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     does not exceed $500,000, excluding interest, statutory or punitive

1-12     damages and penalties, and attorney's fees and costs, as alleged on

1-13     the page of the petition.

1-14           (c)  The judge of a county court at law [County Court at Law

1-15     No. 3 of Hidalgo County] shall be paid an annual salary that is not

1-16     less than  $1,000 less than the total annual salary, including

1-17     supplements, received by [does not exceed 90 percent of the amount

1-18     paid] a district judge in  the county.  The salary of a county

1-19     court at law judge shall be paid in the same manner and from the

1-20     same fund as prescribed by law for the county judge of Hidalgo

1-21     County.

1-22           (f)  The official court reporter of a county court at law is

1-23     entitled to receive a salary set by the judge of the county court

1-24     at law as provided by law for district court reporters.  The salary

 2-1     shall be paid monthly by the commissioners court out of funds

 2-2     available for that purpose.  The clerk of the court shall tax as

 2-3     costs in each civil, criminal, or probate case in which a record,

 2-4     or any part of a record, is made of the evidence a stenographer's

 2-5     fee of $20 [$3].  The clerk collects the fees and pays them in to

 2-6     the county's general fund.

 2-7           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 2-8           (b)  The amendment made by this Act to Section 25.1102(f),

 2-9     Government Code, applies only to a fee for a case filed on or after

2-10     the effective date of this Act.  A case filed before the effective

2-11     date of this Act is governed by the law in effect when the case was

2-12     filed and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.

2-13           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-14     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-15     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-16     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-17     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.