1-1 By: Hinojosa (Senate Sponsor - Lucio) H.B. No. 3556
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 5, 1997;
1-3 May 6, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on
1-4 Jurisprudence; May 15, 1997, reported favorably by the following
1-5 vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 15, 1997, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to the county courts at law of Hidalgo County.
1-9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-10 SECTION 1. Sections 25.1102(a), (c), and (f), Government
1-11 Code, are amended to read as follows:
1-12 (a) In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section
1-13 25.0003 and other law, a county court at law in Hidalgo County has
1-14 concurrent jurisdiction with the district court in:
1-15 (1) family law cases and proceedings; and
1-16 (2) civil cases in which the matter in controversy
1-17 does not exceed $500,000, excluding interest, statutory or punitive
1-18 damages and penalties, and attorney's fees and costs, as alleged on
1-19 the page of the petition.
1-20 (c) The judge of a county court at law [County Court at Law
1-21 No. 3 of Hidalgo County] shall be paid an annual salary that is not
1-22 less than $1,000 less than the total annual salary, including
1-23 supplements, received by [does not exceed 90 percent of the amount
1-24 paid] a district judge in the county. The salary of a county
1-25 court at law judge shall be paid in the same manner and from the
1-26 same fund as prescribed by law for the county judge of Hidalgo
1-27 County.
1-28 (f) The official court reporter of a county court at law is
1-29 entitled to receive a salary set by the judge of the county court
1-30 at law as provided by law for district court reporters. The salary
1-31 shall be paid monthly by the commissioners court out of funds
1-32 available for that purpose. The clerk of the court shall tax as
1-33 costs in each civil, criminal, or probate case in which a record,
1-34 or any part of a record, is made of the evidence a stenographer's
1-35 fee of $20 [$3]. The clerk collects the fees and pays them in to
1-36 the county's general fund.
1-37 SECTION 2. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.
1-38 (b) The amendment made by this Act to Section 25.1102(f),
1-39 Government Code, applies only to a fee for a case filed on or after
1-40 the effective date of this Act. A case filed before the effective
1-41 date of this Act is governed by the law in effect when the case was
1-42 filed and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.
1-43 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
1-44 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-45 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-46 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-47 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-48 * * * * *