75R12145 T
By Hinojosa H.B. No. 3556
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 3556:
By Hartnett C.S.H.B. No. 3556
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.