By Turner of Coleman                                   H.B. No. 728
         77R2200 YDB-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the creation of the County Court at Law of Brown
 1-3     County.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 25, Government Code, is
 1-6     amended by adding Sections 25.0271 and 25.0272 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 25.0271.  BROWN COUNTY.  Brown County has one statutory
 1-8     county court, the County Court at Law of Brown County.
 1-9           Sec. 25.0272.  BROWN COUNTY COURT AT LAW PROVISIONS. (a)  In
1-10     addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section 25.0003 and other
1-11     law, a county court at law of Brown County has concurrent
1-12     jurisdiction with the district court in:
1-13                 (1)  family law cases and proceedings; and
1-14                 (2)  felony criminal cases.
1-15           (b)  The commissioners court by order entered of record shall
1-16     set at least two terms of court each year for each county court at
1-17     law.
1-18           (c)  A judge of a county court at law may not engage in the
1-19     private practice of law.
1-20           (d)  The salary of a judge of a county court at law shall be
1-21     set by the commissioners court in accordance with law and shall be
1-22     paid out of the county treasury on orders from the commissioners
1-23     court.
1-24           (e)  A special judge of a county court at law may be
 2-1     appointed in the manner provided by law for the appointment of a
 2-2     special county judge. A special judge must have the same
 2-3     qualifications and is entitled to the same rate of compensation as
 2-4     the regular judge.
 2-5           (f)  The district clerk serves as the clerk of a county court
 2-6     at law in matters in which the county court at law has concurrent
 2-7     jurisdiction with the district court. The county clerk serves as
 2-8     the clerk of a county court at law in all other matters.
 2-9           SECTION 2.  Notwithstanding Section 25.0271, Government Code,
2-10     as added by this Act, the County Court at Law of Brown County is
2-11     created January 1, 2003, or on an earlier date determined by the
2-12     commissioners court by an order entered in its minutes.