HBA-CMT, CBW S.B. 1808 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1808 By: Ogden Judicial Affairs 5/15/2001 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, Navarro County has a constitutional county court and a state district court, however the county does not have a statutory county court. The number of cases heard by the courts in Navarro County, including family law cases, has increased significantly. Establishing another court in Navarro County could ease the caseload and provide for a more efficient manner of resolving cases. Senate Bill 1808 establishes the County Court at Law of Navarro County following voter approval by a nonbinding referendum to be held by the county. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS Senate Bill 1808 amends the Government Code to provide that Navarro County has one statutory county court, the County Court at Law of Navarro County (court). The court has concurrent jurisdiction with the district court, notwithstanding any law granting exclusive jurisdiction to the district court. The bill provides that the county court at law does not have general supervisory control or appellate review of the commissioners court or jurisdiction of certain felony cases, suits, misdemeanors, or contested elections. The judge of a county court at law must have the same qualifications as those required by law for a district judge. In matters of concurrent jurisdiction, the judge of a county court at law and the district judge are authorized to exchange benches, transfer cases subject to acceptance, and otherwise manage their respective dockets in accordance with directives of the local administrative judge and local administrative rules. The bill provides that the judge of the 13th District Court serves as the local administrative judge for the district and county courts at law in Navarro County. The district judge is authorized to delegate the power to assign or transfer cases. The bill requires the local administrative judge to assign certain felony cases to the district court except that the local administrative judge is authorized to assign a case to the statutory county court if assignment to that court is necessary for the efficient management of the courts' dockets. The court is created September 1, 2003, or on an earlier date determined by the Commissioners Court of Navarro County by an order entered in its minutes following a nonbinding referendum held in the county in which the voters express a public opinion on the creation of the court. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001.