SRC-VRA H.B. 3577 78(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterH.B. 3577
By: Smithee (Bivins)
Jurisprudence
5/21/2003
Committee Report (Amended)


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

H.B. 3577 sets forth several provisions for the more efficient
administration of justice in Randall County.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to
a state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 25.1931, Government Code, as follows:
 
(a)  Provides that Randall County has one statutory county court, the
County Court at Law No. 1 of Randall County. 
 
(b)  Provides that a county court at law of Randall County sits in the
county seat or at another location in the county as assigned by the local
administrative statutory county court judge. 
 
SECTION 2.  Amends Section 25.1932, Government Code, by amending
Subsections (a) and (d) and adding Subsections (b) and (k), as follows: 
 
(a)  Provides that in addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section
25.0003 and other law, a county court at law in Randall County has
concurrent jurisdiction with the district court in felony cases. 
 
(b)  Provides that a county court at law has terms beginning on the first
Mondays of January and July of each year. 
 
(d)  Requires the salary paid the judge of a county court at law to be
paid out of the county treasury by the commissioners court, except as
otherwise provided by law.  Prohibits the county from reducing the
compensation paid to the judge of a county court at law during the judge's
term in office. 
 
(k)  Authorizes the judge of a county court at law and the judges of the
district courts in the county, notwithstanding Section 74.121(b)(1), in
matters of concurrent jurisdiction, to exchange benches and courtrooms and
to transfer cases between their dockets in the same manner that judges of
district courts exchange benches and transfer cases under Section 24.303. 
 
SECTION 3.  Provides that on September 1, 2003, the County Court at Law of
Randall County is redesignated as the County Court at Law No. 1 of Randall
County. 
 
SECTION 4.  Effective date:  September 1, 2003.

 LIST OF AMENDMENTS

Committee Amendment No. 2:

Amend H.B. 3577 on page 1, line 24 by adding the words "to conduct
arraignments, conduct pretrial hearings, and accept guilty pleas" between
"cases" and "." . 
On  page 2, lines 5 through 7 by removing the words "The county may not
reduce the compensation paid to the judge of a county court at law during
the judge's term in office."