By: Lambert, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Perry) H.B. No. 4281
         (In the Senate - Received from the House May 19, 2017;
  May 19, 2017, read first time and referred to Committee on
  Administration; May 23, 2017, reported favorably by the following
  vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 23, 2017, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the 1st Multicounty County Court at Law.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 25.2702, Government Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (a) and (d) and adding Subsection (g) to read
  as follows:
         (a)  In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section
  25.0003 and other law, the 1st Multicounty Court at Law has
  concurrent jurisdiction with the district court in:
               (1)  family law cases and proceedings; and
               (2)  felony criminal cases.
         (d)  The judge of the county court at law shall appoint an
  official court reporter. The judge may appoint a court
  administrator to aid the judge in the performance of the judge's
  duties. The  [An] official court reporter and the court
  administrator of the county court at law are [is] entitled to
  receive the same salary and to be paid in the same manner as the
  official court reporter and court administrator, respectively, of
  the district court in the administrative county for the court [a
  salary set by the commissioners courts in the counties the reporter
  serves to be paid out of the county treasuries, either by salary or
  by contract as set by the commissioners courts].  The clerk of the
  court shall tax as costs, in each civil, criminal, and probate case
  in which a record of any part of the evidence in the case is made by
  the reporter, a stenographer's fee of $25.  The fee shall be paid in
  the same manner as other costs in the case.  The clerk collects the
  fee and pays it into the general funds of the counties.
         (g)  The judge of the county court at law is entitled to
  travel expenses and necessary office expenses as authorized by the
  commissioners court of the administrative county.
         SECTION 2.  Section 3.07(b), Chapter 1182 (S.B. 1139), Acts
  of the 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, which amends
  Section 25.2701, Government Code, to be effective January 1, 2019,
  is repealed.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
 
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