Monitoring the Session

HB 5649

bill lifting the civil cap on Hidalgo County courts

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Sergio Muñoz Jr.DHouse 36

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the jurisdiction of a county court at law in Hidalgo County.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

The $750,000 cap goes, and so does the word “concurrent.”

The bill changes the jurisdiction of county courts at law in Hidalgo County, removing the $750,000 cap on civil cases and dropping the word "concurrent" so these courts get the jurisdiction the constitution and general law give district courts in family and civil cases regardless of amount. It touches litigants, lawyers and judges in Hidalgo County. Starting with cases filed on or after September 1, 2025, Hidalgo County courts at law can hear civil cases of any dollar amount.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Mar 18, 2025 and referred to the House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB5649 · 2025-03-18

SOLD BY

Rep. Sergio Muñoz Jr.DHouse 36

ITEM

relating to the jurisdiction of a county court at law in Hidalgo County.

WHAT IT DOES

The $750,000 cap goes, and so does the word “concurrent.”

The bill changes the jurisdiction of county courts at law in Hidalgo County, removing the $750,000 cap on civil cases and dropping the word "concurrent" so these courts get the jurisdiction the constitution and general law give district courts in family and civil cases regardless of amount. It touches litigants, lawyers and judges in Hidalgo County. Starting with cases filed on or after September 1, 2025, Hidalgo County courts at law can hear civil cases of any dollar amount.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Sergio Muñoz Jr.

Donors

Texas Sands PAC$8KTexas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$8KOncor Texas State Political Action Committee of Oncor Electric Delivery Administration Corp.$3K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Jul 24, 2024 to May 19, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texas Sands PAC$8,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$8,000.00

Cash
$8,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$8,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 1, 2024 to May 19, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100988555, 101060827.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$7,500.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$7,500.00

Cash
$7,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$7,500.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 24, 2024 to Nov 18, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100988555, 101031482.

Oncor Texas State Political Action Committee of Oncor Electric Delivery Administration Corp.$3,000.00

Oncor Texas State Political Action Committee of Oncor Electric Delivery Administration Corp.

$3,000.00

Cash
$3,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$3,000.00

Also funds 113 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 27, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 1, 2024 to May 19, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100988555, 101060827.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Texas Sands PAC

$8,000.00

Cash
$8,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$8,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 1, 2024 to May 19, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100988555, 101060827.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$7,500.00

Cash
$7,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$7,500.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 24, 2024 to Nov 18, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100988555, 101031482.

×

Oncor Texas State Political Action Committee of Oncor Electric Delivery Administration Corp.

$3,000.00

Cash
$3,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$3,000.00

Also funds 113 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 27, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 1, 2024 to May 19, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100988555, 101060827.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Mar 18, 2025

04/07/2025 H Referred to Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence: Apr 7 2025 5:28PM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 6:51 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

HIDALGO COUNTY

Courts--Civil Procedure

Courts--County & Statutory

Text

The text as introduced · 209 words

89R7960 JTZ-D

By: Muñoz
H.B. No. 5649

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the jurisdiction of a county court at law in Hidalgo

County.

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

SECTION 1. Section 25.1102(a), Government Code, is 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 Hidalgo County has

the [ concurrent ] jurisdiction provided by the constitution and

general law for [ with the ] district courts [ court ] in:

(1) family law cases and proceedings; and

(2) civil cases regardless of the amount [ in which the

matter ] in controversy [ does not exceed $750,000, excluding

interest, statutory or punitive damages and penalties, and

attorney's fees and costs, as alleged on the page of the petition ].

SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only

to a cause of action filed on or after the effective date of this

Act. A cause of action filed before that date is governed by the law

in effect immediately before that date, and that law is continued in

effect for that purpose.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.