The bill would amend various chapters of the Government Code as it relates to district courts, statutory county courts, visiting judges, criminal law magistrates, jurors, and court administration.
The bill would amend the Government Code to create new judicial districts in: Brazoria County, the 490th Judicial District to be created on September 1, 2026; Colorado and Lavaca Counties, the 492nd Judicial District to be created on September 1, 2026; Fort Bend County, the 501st and 502nd Judicial Districts to be created on December 1, 2025; Rockwall County, the 503rd Judicial District to be created on
December 1, 2025; Ellis County, the 504th Judicial District to be created on
December 1, 2025; Comal County, the 511th Judicial District to be created on September 1, 2026; Williamson County, the 512th Judicial District to be created on
December 1, 2025; Harris County, the 513th, 514th, and 515th Judicial Districts to be created on September 1, 2026; Harris County, the 516th and 517th Judicial Districts to be created on October 1, 2026; and Montgomery County, the 523rd Judicial District to be created on September 1, 2026. The bill would rename and revise the composition of the 522nd Judicial District and the 274th Judicial District. The bill would revise the composition of the Second and Third Business Court Divisions.
The bill would create Place 4 and Place 5 of the 15th Court of Appeals beginning respectively on September 1, 2028, and September 1, 2029.
The bill would revise the jurisdiction of the office of the district attorney for the 1st Judicial District and revise the electorate of the 293rd Judicial District. The bill would create a new office of the district attorney for the 273rd Judicial District on January 1, 2029 and a new office of the district attorney for the 365th Judicial District on January 1, 2029. The bill would add Fayette County to the list of county attorneys that are subject to the Professional Prosecutors Act.
The bill would increase the amount in controversy limit in civil actions filed in statutory county courts from $250,000 to $325,000.
The bill would require each county to pay to the presiding judge an amount to cover the salary and expenses of the statutory probate court (if any) from the Judicial Education and Support Fund.
The bill would revise the jurisdiction, county pay and operations of statutory county courts in Aransas, Atascosa, Bowie, Hidalgo, Montgomery, Potter, Tom Green, and Wichita Counties as well as the 2nd Multicounty Court at Law. The bill would create in Hidalgo County, Probate Court No. 2; in Harris County, a new statutory county court at law; and in Maverick County, a new statutory county court at law on the effective date of the bill or immediately if the bill receives the sufficient number of votes.
The bill would authorize the presiding judge of the statutory probate courts to assign a former or retired justice of an appellate court to hear certain cases and would permit a former or retired justice of an appellate court to be assigned by the presiding judge to hold court. The bill would provide that a former or retired judge or justice assigned under Section 25.0022 Government Code to a constitutional county court in a county in the Texas-Mexico border region is entitled to compensation equal to the maximum salary a district judge may receive from county and state sources under certain conditions.
The bill would provide that a former or retired judge or justice serving on assignment for an appellate court is entitled to compensation equal to the salary of a court of appeals justice with comparable years of service. The bill would provide that a former or retired judge or justice assigned as a judicial mentor is entitled to the same salary, compensation, and expenses that the judge or justice would be entitled to if they had been assigned under Chapter 74 to serve as judge of the trial court in the administrative judicial region. The bill would provide that the salary of a former or retired judge or justice assigned to a district court is determined pro rata based on the sum of the regular judge's salary from the county plus the state salary paid to a district judge with eight years of service.
The bill would require certain prosecutors to report certain information to the Texas Judicial Council.
The bill would revise the qualifications to be a master, magistrate, referee, or associate judge.
The bill would authorize a fee for filing an ex parte petition for expunction to defray the cost of notifying state agencies of expunction orders.
The bill would require the Office of Court Administration (OCA) to hold an annual leadership conference to provide information to certain judges and court administrators and would authorize OCA to reimburse attendees.
The bill would prohibit a specialty court program from operating unless certain conditions were met.
The bill would require judicial training to include training on elder abuse and neglect.
The bill would revise the composition of the juvenile boards of Bee County, Grayson County, Live Oak County, Comal County and McMullen County.
The bill would increase the criminal penalty for the offense of harassment from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class A misdemeanor if committed against a court employee. The offense would be increased to a state jail felony if committed against a court employee and the actor has been previously convicted of the offense or committed against a judge, and a third-degree felony if committed against a judge and the actor has been previously convicted of the offense.
The bill would require the Office of Attorney General to defend employees, officers or board members of the Special Prosecution Unit and would require the recovery of court costs and attorney fees under certain conditions.
The bill would revise the membership and duties of a court security committee established by a local administrative judge.