Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4281 Latest Draft

Bill / Enrolled Version Filed 05/27/2017

                            H.B. No. 4281


 AN ACT
 relating to the 1st Multicounty County Court at Law.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Section 25.2702, Government Code, is amended by
 amending Subsections (a) and (d) and adding Subsection (g) to read
 as follows:
 (a)  In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section
 25.0003 and other law, the 1st Multicounty Court at Law has
 concurrent jurisdiction with the district court in:
 (1)  family law cases and proceedings; and
 (2)  felony criminal cases.
 (d)  The judge of the county court at law shall appoint an
 official court reporter. The judge may appoint a court
 administrator to aid the judge in the performance of the judge's
 duties. The  [An] official court reporter and the court
 administrator of the county court at law are [is] entitled to
 receive the same salary and to be paid in the same manner as the
 official court reporter and court administrator, respectively, of
 the district court in the administrative county for the court [a
 salary set by the commissioners courts in the counties the reporter
 serves to be paid out of the county treasuries, either by salary or
 by contract as set by the commissioners courts].  The clerk of the
 court shall tax as costs, in each civil, criminal, and probate case
 in which a record of any part of the evidence in the case is made by
 the reporter, a stenographer's fee of $25.  The fee shall be paid in
 the same manner as other costs in the case.  The clerk collects the
 fee and pays it into the general funds of the counties.
 (g)  The judge of the county court at law is entitled to
 travel expenses and necessary office expenses as authorized by the
 commissioners court of the administrative county.
 SECTION 2.  Section 3.07(b), Chapter 1182 (S.B. 1139), Acts
 of the 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, which amends
 Section 25.2701, Government Code, to be effective January 1, 2019,
 is repealed.
 SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
 ______________________________ ______________________________
 President of the Senate Speaker of the House
 I certify that H.B. No. 4281 was passed by the House on May
 19, 2017, by the following vote:  Yeas 141, Nays 3, 2 present, not
 voting.
 ______________________________
 Chief Clerk of the House
 I certify that H.B. No. 4281 was passed by the Senate on May
 24, 2017, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 ______________________________
 Secretary of the Senate
 APPROVED:  _____________________
 Date
 _____________________
 Governor