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78R5881 KLA-D

By:  Hamilton                                                     H.B. No. 3557



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the county courts at law in Orange County.                        
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 25.1831, Government Code, is amended to 
read as follows: 
	Sec. 25.1831.  ORANGE COUNTY.  (a) Orange County has the 
following [one] statutory county courts:
		(1)  [court,] the County Court at Law of Orange County; 
and
		(2)  the County Court at Law No. 2 of Orange County.                   
	(b)  A county court at law in [The County Court at Law of] 
Orange County sits at the county seat.
	SECTION 2.  Section 25.1832(i), Government Code, is amended 
to read as follows:
	(i)  Except as otherwise required by law, a jury in a county 
court at law is [Juries in all matters civil or criminal shall be 
composed of 12 members, except that in misdemeanor criminal cases 
and cases of concurrent jurisdiction with the county court, the 
juries shall be] composed of six members.
	SECTION 3.  The change in law made by Section 2 of this Act 
applies only to a proceeding commenced on or after the effective 
date of this Act.  A proceeding commenced before the effective date 
of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the 
proceeding was commenced, and the former law is continued in effect 
for that purpose.
	SECTION 4.  The County Court at Law No. 2 of Orange County is 
created and this Act takes effect September 1, 2003.