78R9600 KLA-D

By:  Chavez                                                       H.B. No. 3595



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the statutory county courts in El Paso County.                    
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Sections 25.0732(w), (x), and (z), Government 
Code, are amended to read as follows:
	(w)  In matters of concurrent jurisdiction, a judge of a 
statutory county court in El Paso County and a judge of a district 
court or another statutory county court in El Paso County may 
transfer cases between the courts in the same manner judges of 
district courts transfer cases under Section 24.303.  [This 
subsection does not apply to a county criminal court at law in El 
Paso County.]
	(x)  A judge of a statutory county court in El Paso County and 
a judge of a district court in El Paso County may exchange benches 
and may sit and act for each other in any matter pending before the 
court.  [This subsection does not apply to a county criminal court 
at law in El Paso County.]
	(z)  The County Criminal Courts No. 1 and No. 2 have the 
criminal jurisdiction provided by law for county courts and 
appellate jurisdiction in appeals of criminal cases from justice 
courts and municipal courts in the county as provided by Article 
45.042, Code of Criminal Procedure[, but have no other 
jurisdiction].
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.