By Carona                                               S.B. No. 55
         76R1183 MLS-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the jurisdiction of the county, justice, and small
 1-3     claims courts.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Sections 26.042(a) and (d), Government Code, are
 1-6     amended to read as follows:
 1-7           (a)  A county court has concurrent jurisdiction with the
 1-8     justice courts in civil cases in which the matter in controversy
 1-9     exceeds $200 in value but does not exceed $10,000 [$5,000],
1-10     exclusive of interest.
1-11           (d)  A county court has concurrent jurisdiction with the
1-12     district court in civil cases in which the matter in controversy
1-13     exceeds $500 but does not exceed $10,000 [$5,000], exclusive of
1-14     interest.
1-15           SECTION 2.  Section 27.031(a), Government Code, is amended to
1-16     read as follows:
1-17           (a)  In addition to the jurisdiction and powers provided by
1-18     the constitution and other law, the justice court has original
1-19     jurisdiction of:
1-20                 (1)  civil matters in which exclusive jurisdiction is
1-21     not in the district or county court and in which the amount in
1-22     controversy is not more than $10,000 [$5,000], exclusive of
1-23     interest;
1-24                 (2)  cases of forcible entry and detainer;  and
 2-1                 (3)  foreclosure of mortgages and enforcement of liens
 2-2     on personal property in cases in which the amount in controversy is
 2-3     otherwise within the justice court's jurisdiction.
 2-4           SECTION 3.    Section 28.003(a), Government Code, is amended
 2-5     to read as follows:
 2-6           (a)  The small claims court has concurrent jurisdiction with
 2-7     the justice court in actions by any person for the recovery of
 2-8     money in which the amount involved, exclusive of costs, does not
 2-9     exceed $10,000 [$5,000].
2-10           SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect on September 1, 1999, and
2-11     applies only to actions filed on or after the effective date of
2-12     this Act.  An action filed before the effective date of this Act is
2-13     governed by the law in effect at the time the action was filed, and
2-14     that law is continued in effect for that purpose.
2-15           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-16     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-17     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-18     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-19     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.