By: Eltife S.B. No. 1806
(Paddie)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the Harrison County Court at Law.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 25.1042, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subsections (a), (b), (c), (d), and (f) to read as follows:
(a) In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section
25.0003 and other law, a county court at law in Harrison County has
concurrent jurisdiction with the district court, on assignment of a
district judge presiding in Harrison County, in family law cases
and proceedings.
(b) Assignment and transfer of cases under Subsection (a) is
at the discretion of the judge of the district court making the
assignment. Assignment or transfer from a county court at law to a
district court is governed by Section 74.121(b)(1).
(c) The district clerk serves as clerk of a county court at
law in cases assigned under Subsection (a), and the county clerk
serves as clerk of the court in all other cases.
(d) A party to a case assigned under Subsection (a) may
request a jury of 12 persons if the party makes the request not
later than the 30th day before the trial date. A party who does not
make a timely request under this subsection waives the right to
request a 12-person jury and the case will proceed with a six-person
jury.
(f) In matters of concurrent jurisdiction, a district judge
presiding in Harrison County may transfer cases from the district
court to a county court at law in Harrison County in the same manner
judges of district courts transfer cases under Section 24.003.
SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply to an
action filed on or after the effective date of this Act or pending
on the effective date of this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect January 1, 2015.