1-1     By:  Barrientos                                        S.B. No. 954
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed February 27, 2001; February 28, 2001,
 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Intergovernmental
 1-4     Relations; April 17, 2001, reported adversely, with favorable
 1-5     Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 0;
 1-6     April 17, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 954                  By:  Lindsay
 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-9                                   AN ACT
1-10     relating to the jurisdiction of and procedure in a county court at
1-11     law in Travis County.
1-12           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-13           SECTION 1.  Section 25.2292, Government Code, is amended by
1-14     adding Subsections (a) and (d) to read as follows:
1-15           (a)  In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section
1-16     25.0003 and other law, a county court at law in Travis County has
1-17     concurrent jurisdiction with the district court in civil cases in
1-18     which the matter in controversy exceeds $500 but does not exceed
1-19     $250,000 excluding interest, statutory or punitive damages and
1-20     penalties, and attorney's fees and costs, as alleged on the face of
1-21     the petition.
1-22           (d)  In civil cases, the jury is composed of six members
1-23     unless:
1-24                 (1)  the amount in controversy exceeds $100,000; and
1-25                 (2)  a party to the case files a written request for a
1-26     12-member jury not later than the 30th day before the date of the
1-27     trial.
1-28           SECTION 2.  Subsection (d), Section 25.2292, Government Code,
1-29     as added by this Act, applies only to a case filed on or after the
1-30     effective date of this Act.  A case filed before the effective date
1-31     of this Act is governed by the law in effect at the time the case
1-32     was filed, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.
1-33           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-34                                  * * * * *