79R1626 RMB-D

By:  Smithee                                                      H.B. No. 595



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the jurisdiction of the County Court at Law of Randall 
County.  
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 25.1932(a), Government Code, is amended 
to read as follows:
	(a)  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:
		(1)  family law cases and proceedings;                                        
		(2)  cases and proceedings involving justiciable 
controversies and differences between spouses, or between parents, 
or between parent and child, or between any of these and third 
persons;
		(3)  civil cases; and                                                         
		(4)  felony cases to conduct arraignments, conduct 
pretrial hearings, and accept pleas in uncontested matters [guilty 
pleas].
	SECTION 2.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies to 
a criminal case that is pending or commences on or after the 
effective date of this Act.
	(b)  For purposes of this section, a criminal case is pending 
if a final judgment has not been entered in the case and commences 
when an indictment or information is presented to the court.
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this 
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 
Act takes effect September 1, 2005.