By Ellis H.B. No. 3829
76R4736 DB-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the jurisdiction of and procedure in the county court
1-3 at law in Polk County.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Sections 25.1892(a) and (e), Government Code, are
1-6 amended to read as follows:
1-7 (a) In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section
1-8 25.0003 and other law, a county court at law in Polk County has
1-9 concurrent [civil] jurisdiction with the district court in:
1-10 (1) cases and proceedings involving the collection of
1-11 delinquent taxes, penalties, interest, and costs and the
1-12 foreclosure of tax liens; [and]
1-13 (2) family law cases and proceedings;
1-14 (3) juvenile matters under Sec. 23.001; and
1-15 (4) noncapital felony cases.
1-16 (e) The criminal [county attorney or] district attorney
1-17 serves a county court at law as required by the judge. The
1-18 district clerk serves as clerk of a county court at law in cases in
1-19 which the county court at law exercises jurisdiction concurrent
1-20 with the district court. The [enumerated in Subsection (a)(2), and
1-21 the] county clerk serves as clerk in all other cases. The district
1-22 clerk shall establish a separate docket for a county court at law.
1-23 The commissioners court may employ as many additional assistant
1-24 county attorneys, deputy sheriffs, and clerks as are necessary to
2-1 serve a county court at law.
2-2 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. The
2-3 change in law made by this Act to Section 25.1892(e), Government
2-4 Code, applies only to a case that is filed on or after the
2-5 effective date of this Act. A case that is filed before the
2-6 effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect at the
2-7 time the case was filed, and that law is continued in effect for
2-8 that purpose.
2-9 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
2-10 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-11 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-12 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-13 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.