Atascosa County court at law gets bigger cases

The text as introduced · 484 words

89R11522 BCH-F

By: McLaughlin
H.B. No. 2661

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the jurisdiction and operation of the County Court at

Law in Atascosa County.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 25.0092, Government Code, is amended by

amending Subsections (a) and (d) and adding Subsection (c-1) to

read as follows:

(a) In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section

25.0003 and other law, and except as limited by Subsection (b), a

county court at law in Atascosa County has concurrent jurisdiction

with the district court in:

(1) Class A and Class B misdemeanor cases;

(2) family law matters;

(3) juvenile matters;

(4) probate matters; [ and ]

(5) appeals from the justice and municipal courts ; and

(6) civil cases in which the matter in controversy

exceeds the maximum amount provided by Section 25.0003 but does not

exceed $1 million, excluding interest, statutory or punitive

damages and penalties, and attorney's fees and costs, as alleged on

the face of the petition, including:

(A) a suit to decide the issue of title to real or

personal property;

(B) a suit for the enforcement of a lien on real

property;

(C) a suit for the trial of the right to property

valued at $500 or more that has been levied on under a writ of

execution, sequestration, or attachment; and

(D) a suit for the recovery of real property .

(c-1) In addition to other assignments provided by law, a

judge of the county court at law in Atascosa County is subject to

assignment under Chapter 74 to any district court in Atascosa

County. A county court at law judge assigned to a district court

may hear any matter pending in the district court.

(d) The judge of a county court at law shall be paid as

provided by Section 25.0005 [ a total annual salary set by the

commissioners court at an amount that is not less than $1,000 less

than the total annual salary received by a district judge in the

county. A district judge's or statutory county court judge's total

annual salary does not include contributions and supplements paid

by a county ].

SECTION 2. Section 25.0092(a), Government Code, as amended

by this Act, applies only to a case filed or proceeding commenced on

or after the effective date of this Act. A case filed or proceeding

commenced before that date 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 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.