86R8987 TSS-F
 
  By: Middleton H.B. No. 1939
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the creation of a county court at law in Chambers
  County.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 25, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Sections 25.0381 and 25.0382 to read as follows:
         Sec. 25.0381.  CHAMBERS COUNTY. Chambers County has one
  statutory county court, the County Court at Law of Chambers County. 
         Sec. 25.0382.  CHAMBERS COUNTY COURT AT LAW PROVISIONS. (a)  
  In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section 25.0003 and
  other law, a county court at law in Chambers County has the
  jurisdiction provided by the constitution and by general law for
  district courts, including concurrent jurisdiction in:
               (1)  arraignments, pleas, and pretrial motions for
  felony cases;
               (2)  trials for felony cases transferred from a
  district court in Chambers County to the county court at law; and
               (3)  family law cases and proceedings.
         (b)  In matters of concurrent jurisdiction, a judge of a
  county court at law and a judge of a district court in Chambers
  County may transfer cases between the courts in the same manner that
  judges of district courts may transfer cases under Section 24.003.
         (c)  The judge of a county court at law shall be paid an
  annual salary that is at least equal to the amount that is $1,000
  less than the total annual salary, including supplements, received
  by a district judge in the county. The salary shall be paid out of
  the county treasury on order of the commissioners court.
         (d)  The judge of a county court at law is entitled to travel
  expenses and necessary office expenses, including administrative
  and clerical help, in the same manner as a district judge in the
  county.
         (e)  The district clerk serves as clerk of a county court at
  law for family cases and proceedings, and the county clerk serves as
  clerk for all other cases. The commissioners court may employ as
  many deputy sheriffs and bailiffs as are necessary to serve the
  court.
         (f)  If a case or proceeding in which a county court at law
  has concurrent jurisdiction with a district court is tried before a
  jury, the jury shall be composed of 12 members. In all other cases,
  the jury shall be composed of six members.
         (g)  The judge of a county court at law may, instead of
  appointing an official court reporter, contract for the services of
  a court reporter under guidelines established by the commissioners
  court.
         (h)  The laws governing the drawing, selection, service, and
  pay of jurors for county courts apply to a county court at law.
  Jurors regularly impaneled for a week by the district court may, on
  a request of a judge of the county court at law, be made available
  and shall serve for the week in a county court at law.
         (i)  A county court at law has the same terms of court as a
  district court in Chambers County.
         SECTION 2.  Notwithstanding Section 25.0381, Government
  Code, as added by this Act, the County Court at Law of Chambers
  County is created on January 1, 2021, or an earlier date determined
  by the Commissioners Court of Chambers County by an order entered in
  its minutes.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.