Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2536 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	By: Harless, Dutton, Davis of Harris H.B. No. 2536
2		-	(Senate Sponsor - Whitmire)
3		-	(In the Senate - Received from the House May 4, 2015;
4		-	May 4, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on State
5		-	Affairs; May 12, 2015, reported favorably by the following vote:
6		-	Yeas 5, Nays 2; May 12, 2015, sent to printer.)
7		-	Click here to see the committee vote
	1	+	H.B. No. 2536
8	2
9	3
10		-	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
11	4		AN ACT
12	5		relating to jurisdiction in an eminent domain proceeding in Harris
13	6		County.
14	7		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
15	8		SECTION 1. Section 25.1032, Government Code, is amended by
16	9		amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (d) to read as
17	10		follows:
18	11		(c) A county civil court at law has exclusive jurisdiction
19	12		in Harris County of eminent domain proceedings, both statutory and
20	13		inverse, if the amount in controversy in a statutory proceeding
21	14		does not exceed the amount provided by Section 25.0003(c) in civil
22	15		cases. Notwithstanding Section 21.013, Property Code, a party
23	16		initiating a condemnation proceeding in Harris County may file a
24	17		petition with the district clerk when the amount in controversy
25	18		exceeds the amount provided by Section 25.0003(c). The amount in
26	19		controversy is the amount of the bona fide offer made by the entity
27	20		with eminent domain authority to acquire the property from the
28	21		property owner voluntarily [regardless of the amount in
29	22		controversy].
30	23		(d) In addition to other jurisdiction provided by law, a
31	24		county civil court at law has jurisdiction to:
32	25		(1) decide the issue of title to real or personal
33	26		property;
34	27		(2) hear a suit to recover damages for slander or
35	28		defamation of character;
36	29		(3) hear a suit for the enforcement of a lien on real
37	30		property;
38	31		(4) hear a suit for the forfeiture of a corporate
39	32		charter;
40	33		(5) hear a suit for the trial of the right to property
41	34		valued at $200 or more that has been levied on under a writ of
42	35		execution, sequestration, or attachment; and
43	36		(6) hear a suit for the recovery of real property.
44	37		SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only
45	38		to an eminent domain proceeding for which a petition is filed on or
46	39		after the effective date of this Act. An eminent domain proceeding
47	40		for which a petition is filed before the effective date of this Act
48	41		is governed by the law in effect immediately before that date, and
49	42		that law is continued in effect for that purpose.
50	43		SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
51		-	* * * * *
	44	+	______________________________ ______________________________
	45	+	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
	46	+	I certify that H.B. No. 2536 was passed by the House on April
	47	+	30, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 132, Nays 7, 2 present, not
	48	+	voting.
	49	+	______________________________
	50	+	Chief Clerk of the House
	51	+	I certify that H.B. No. 2536 was passed by the Senate on May
	52	+	19, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 22, Nays 9.
	53	+	______________________________
	54	+	Secretary of the Senate
	55	+	APPROVED: _____________________
	56	+	Date
	57	+	_____________________
	58	+	Governor