88R6685 JTZ-F
 
  By: Nichols S.B. No. 2573
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the jurisdiction of the 411th District Court and of the
  County Court at Law of Polk County.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 24.553, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
         (c)  The 411th District Court has concurrent jurisdiction in
  Polk County with the county court over all misdemeanor cases over
  which the county court has jurisdiction under the constitution and
  laws of this state. Cases in the concurrent misdemeanor
  jurisdiction may be filed in either court, and all cases of
  concurrent misdemeanor jurisdiction may be transferred between the
  411th District Court and the county court. A case may not be
  transferred from one court to another without the consent of the
  judge of the court to which it is transferred, and a case may not be
  transferred unless it is within the jurisdiction of the court to
  which it is transferred.
         SECTION 2.  Sections 25.1892(a) and (e), Government Code,
  are 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 Polk County has
  concurrent [civil] jurisdiction with the district court in:
               (1)  cases and proceedings involving the collection of
  delinquent taxes, penalties, interest, and costs and the
  foreclosure of tax liens; [and]
               (2)  family law cases and proceedings; and
               (3)  felony cases to conduct arraignments and pre-trial
  hearings and to accept guilty pleas.
         (e)  The district clerk serves as clerk of a county court at
  law in cases of concurrent jurisdiction with the district court
  [enumerated in Subsection (a)(2)], and the county clerk serves as
  clerk in all other cases. [The district clerk shall establish a
  separate docket for a county court at law.]
         SECTION 3.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
  a case filed or proceeding commenced on or after the effective date
  of this Act.  A case filed or proceeding commenced before the
  effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the
  date the case was filed or the proceeding was commenced, and the
  former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.