81R8848 YDB-D By: Flynn H.B. No. 4709 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to the creation of a county court at law in Van Zandt County and to the composition of the Van Zandt County Juvenile Board. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 25, Government Code, is amended by adding Sections 25.2361 and 25.2362 to read as follows: Sec. 25.2361. VAN ZANDT COUNTY. Van Zandt County has one statutory county court, the County Court at Law of Van Zandt County. Sec. 25.2362. VAN ZANDT COUNTY COURT AT LAW PROVISIONS. (a) In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section 25.0003, a county court at law in Van Zandt County has, concurrent with the district court, the jurisdiction provided by the constitution and general law for district courts, except that the county court at law does not have jurisdiction in capital felony cases. (b) The county clerk serves as clerk of a county court at law for cases and proceedings originally filed in the county court at law, and the district clerk serves as clerk of a county court at law for cases and proceedings originally filed in the district courts in the county. SECTION 2. Section 152.2401(a), Human Resources Code, is amended to read as follows: (a) The Van Zandt County Juvenile Board is composed of the county judge, the criminal district attorney of Van Zandt County, the judge of the County Court at Law of Van Zandt County, and the judge of the 294th Judicial District. SECTION 3. Chapter 969 (H.B. 4139), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, which added Section 25.2361, Government Code, to be effective January 1, 2011, is repealed. SECTION 4. Notwithstanding Section 25.0009, Government Code, the initial vacancy in the office of judge of the County Court at Law of Van Zandt County shall be filled by election. The office exists for purposes of the primary and general elections in 2010. A vacancy after the initial vacancy is filled as provided by Section 25.0009, Government Code. SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2010.