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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the operation and administration of, and practice and |
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procedures in courts in, the judicial branch of state government. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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ARTICLE 1. DISTRICT COURTS |
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SECTION 1.01. Section 24.503, Government Code, is |
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transferred to Subchapter D, Chapter 24, Government Code, and |
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redesignated as Section 24.641, Government Code, to read as |
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follows: |
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Sec. 24.641 [24.503]. 357TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (CAMERON |
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COUNTY). The 357th Judicial District is composed of Cameron |
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County. |
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SECTION 1.02. (a) Subchapter C, Chapter 24, Government |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 24.586 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 24.586. 442ND JUDICIAL DISTRICT (DENTON COUNTY). The |
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442nd Judicial District is composed of Denton County. |
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(b) The 442nd Judicial District is created on January 1, |
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2014. |
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SECTION 1.03. (a) Subchapter C, Chapter 24, Government |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 24.591 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 24.591. 447TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (KENEDY AND KLEBERG |
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COUNTIES). The 447th Judicial District is composed of Kenedy and |
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Kleberg Counties. |
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(b) The 447th Judicial District is created on the effective |
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date of this Act. |
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SECTION 1.04. (a) Subchapter C, Chapter 24, Government |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 24.594 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 24.594. 450TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (TRAVIS COUNTY). (a) |
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The 450th Judicial District is composed of Travis County. |
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(b) The 450th District Court shall give preference to |
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criminal matters. |
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(b) The 450th Judicial District is created on September 1, |
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2015. |
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ARTICLE 2. STATUTORY COUNTY COURTS |
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SECTION 2.01. (a) Subchapter C, Chapter 25, Government |
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Code, is amended by adding Sections 25.0091 and 25.0092 to read as |
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follows: |
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Sec. 25.0091. ATASCOSA COUNTY. Atascosa County has one |
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statutory county court, the County Court at Law of Atascosa County. |
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Sec. 25.0092. ATASCOSA COUNTY COURT AT LAW PROVISIONS. (a) |
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In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section 25.0003 and |
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other law, and except as limited by Subsection (b), a county court |
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at law in Atascosa County has concurrent jurisdiction with the |
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district court in: |
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(1) Class A and Class B misdemeanor cases; |
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(2) family law matters; |
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(3) juvenile matters; |
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(4) probate matters; and |
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(5) appeals from the justice and municipal courts. |
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(b) A county court at law does not have general supervisory |
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control or appellate review of the commissioners court or |
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jurisdiction of: |
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(1) suits on behalf of this state to recover penalties |
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or escheated property; |
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(2) misdemeanors involving official misconduct; or |
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(3) contested elections. |
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(c) The judge of a county court at law must have the same |
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qualifications as those required by law for a district judge. |
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(d) The judge of a county court at law shall be paid a total |
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annual salary set by the commissioners court at an amount that is |
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not less than $1,000 less than the total annual salary received by a |
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district judge in the county. A district judge's or statutory |
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county court judge's total annual salary does not include |
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contributions and supplements paid by a county. |
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(e) The district clerk serves as clerk of a county court at |
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law in matters of concurrent jurisdiction with the district court, |
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and the county clerk shall serve as clerk of a county court at law in |
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all other matters. Each clerk shall establish a separate docket for |
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a county court at law. |
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(f) The official court reporter of a county court at law is |
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entitled to receive a salary set by the judge of the county court at |
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law with the approval of the commissioners court. |
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(g) Jurors summoned for a county court at law or a district |
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court in the county may by order of the judge of the court to which |
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they are summoned be transferred to another court for service and |
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may be used as if summoned for the court to which they are |
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transferred. |
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(b) Notwithstanding Section 25.0091, Government Code, as |
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added by this section, the County Court at Law of Atascosa County is |
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created January 1, 2014, or on an earlier date determined by the |
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Commissioners Court of Atascosa County by an order entered in its |
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minutes. |
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ARTICLE 3. JUVENILE BOARDS |
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SECTION 3.01. Section 51.04, Family Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (b) and (e) and adding Subsection (i) to read |
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as follows: |
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(b) In each county, the county's juvenile board shall |
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designate one or more district, criminal district, domestic |
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relations, juvenile, or county courts or county courts at law as the |
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juvenile court, subject to Subsections (c), [and] (d), and (i) [of
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this section]. |
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(e) A designation made under Subsection (b), [or] (c), or |
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(i) [of this section] may be changed from time to time by the |
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authorized boards or judges for the convenience of the people and |
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the welfare of children. However, there must be at all times a |
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juvenile court designated for each county. It is the intent of the |
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legislature that in selecting a court to be the juvenile court of |
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each county, the selection shall be made as far as practicable so |
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that the court designated as the juvenile court will be one which is |
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presided over by a judge who has a sympathetic understanding of the |
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problems of child welfare and that changes in the designation of |
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juvenile courts be made only when the best interest of the public |
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requires it. |
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(i) If the court designated as the juvenile court under |
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Subsection (b) does not have jurisdiction over proceedings under |
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Subtitle E, Title 5, the county's juvenile board shall designate at |
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least one other court that does have jurisdiction over proceedings |
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under Subtitle E, Title 5, as a juvenile court or alternative |
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juvenile court. |
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SECTION 3.02. Section 152.0771(a), Human Resources Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The juvenile board of El Paso County is composed of: |
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(1) the county judge or: |
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(A) a member of the commissioners court |
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designated by the county judge; or |
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(B) an individual who is not a member of the |
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commissioners court and who is designated by the county judge and |
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approved by the commissioners court by majority vote; |
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(2) each family district court judge; |
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(3) each juvenile court judge; |
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(4) up to five judges on the "El Paso Council of |
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Judges" to be elected by majority vote of that council; |
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(5) a municipal judge from El Paso County selected by |
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the chairman of the juvenile board of El Paso County; and |
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(6) a justice of the peace in El Paso County selected |
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by the chairman of the juvenile board of El Paso County. |
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ARTICLE 4. EFFECTIVE DATE |
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SECTION 4.01. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |