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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the jurisdiction of the county courts at law in Wichita |
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County. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 25.2452(b), (c), (d), and (e), |
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Government Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(b) All misdemeanor cases, probate and mental health |
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matters, proceedings under the Estates Code, and appeals from |
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municipal courts of record shall be filed in the county court at |
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law. A county court at law may transfer a case or an appeal |
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described by this subsection to the county court with the consent of |
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the county judge. |
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(c) Except as provided by Section 25.0003 and Subsection |
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(d), a county court at law has concurrent jurisdiction with the |
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district court in: |
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(1) family law cases and proceedings under the Family |
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Code; [and] |
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(2) civil cases in which the amount in controversy |
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exceeds $500 but does not exceed $200,000, excluding interest, |
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exemplary damages, penalties, attorney's fees, and court costs; and |
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(3) appeals from the justice courts. |
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(d) A county court at law does not have jurisdiction of: |
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(1) a case under: |
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(A) the Alcoholic Beverage Code; |
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(B) the Election Code; or |
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(C) the Tax Code; or |
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(2) a matter over which the district court has |
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exclusive jurisdiction[; or |
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[(3) a civil case, other than a case under the Family |
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Code or the Estates Code, in which the amount in controversy is: |
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[(A) less than the maximum amount in controversy |
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allowed the justice court in Wichita County; or |
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[(B) more than $200,000, exclusive of punitive or |
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exemplary damages, penalties, interest, costs, and attorney's |
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fees]. |
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(e) On the motion of any party, a county court at law may |
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transfer a civil case originally filed in a county court at law that |
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exceeds the maximum amount in controversy described by Subsection |
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(c)(2) [(d)(3)(B)] to the district court in Wichita County, except |
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that an announcement of ready for trial by all parties before a |
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motion to transfer the case to the district court is filed confers |
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original jurisdiction on the county court at law. A case that is |
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transferred to the district court shall be completed under the same |
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cause number and in the same manner as if the case were originally |
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filed in the district court. |
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SECTION 2. Section 25.2452, Government Code, as amended by |
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this Act, applies only to an action filed in a county court at law in |
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Wichita County on or after the effective date of this Act. An |
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action filed in a county court at law in Wichita County before the |
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effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the |
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date the action was filed, and the former law is continued in effect |
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for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |