88R8218 JTZ-D
 
  By: Guillen H.B. No. 4048
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the creation of the 2nd Multicounty Court at Law in Bee,
  Live Oak, and McMullen Counties.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 25, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Sections 25.2703 and 25.2704 to read as follows:
         Sec. 25.2703.  2ND MULTICOUNTY COURT AT LAW (BEE, LIVE OAK,
  AND MCMULLEN COUNTIES).  Bee, Live Oak, and McMullen Counties have a
  multicounty statutory county court composed of those counties, the
  2nd Multicounty Court at Law.
         Sec. 25.2704.  2ND MULTICOUNTY COURT AT LAW PROVISIONS. (a)  
  In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section 25.0003 and
  other law, the 2nd Multicounty Court at Law has concurrent
  jurisdiction with the district courts, except in civil cases in
  which the matter in controversy exceeds the amount provided by
  Section 25.0003(c)(1).
         (b)  Bee County is the administrative county for the 2nd
  Multicounty Court at Law.
         (c)  Bee, Live Oak, and McMullen Counties shall enter into an
  interlocal agreement allocating the financial obligations of each
  county in relation to the county court at law and the budget,
  powers, and duties of the court and salaries of court personnel.
         (d)  If the counties served by the county court at law are
  unable to reach an agreement under Subsection (c) before the first
  day of the fiscal year for a county served by the court, each county
  shall pay to the court's administrative county a share of the
  court's administrative and operational costs for the fiscal year
  based on the proportion of the court's caseload originating in the
  county during the preceding year. A county is entitled to
  compensation from the state under Section 25.0015 in proportion to
  the amount paid under this subsection.
         (e)  The district clerk serves as clerk of the county court
  at law in matters of concurrent jurisdiction with the district
  court, and the county clerk serves as clerk of the county court at
  law in all other cases.
         (f)  Sections 25.0006, 25.0008, and 74.054(b) do not apply to
  the county court at law.
         (g)  Notwithstanding Section 74.121(b)(1), in matters of
  concurrent jurisdiction, the judge of the 2nd Multicounty Court at
  Law and the judges of the district courts in Bee, Live Oak, and
  McMullen Counties may exchange benches and courtrooms and may
  transfer cases between their dockets in the same manner that judges
  of district courts exchange benches and courtrooms and transfer
  cases under Section 24.003.
         SECTION 2.  The 2nd Multicounty Court at Law is created
  September 1, 2023.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.