Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB561 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 561
2	2
3	3
4	4	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	5	AN ACT
6	6	relating to the jurisdiction of, and qualifications of judges and
7	7	justices of the peace for, certain courts.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Section 24.007(b), Government Code, is amended
10	10	to read as follows:
11	11	(b) A district court has original jurisdiction of a civil
12	12	matter in which the amount in controversy is more than $10,000
13	13	[$500], exclusive of interest.
14	14	SECTION 2. Section 25.0003(c), Government Code, is amended
15	15	to read as follows:
16	16	(c) In addition to other jurisdiction provided by law, a
17	17	statutory county court exercising civil jurisdiction concurrent
18	18	with the constitutional jurisdiction of the county court has
19	19	concurrent jurisdiction with the district court in:
20	20	(1) civil cases in which the matter in controversy
21	21	exceeds $10,000 [$500] but does not exceed $200,000, excluding
22	22	interest, statutory or punitive damages and penalties, and
23	23	attorney's fees and costs, as alleged on the face of the petition;
24	24	and
25	25	(2) appeals of final rulings and decisions of the
26	26	division of workers' compensation of the Texas Department of
27	27	Insurance regarding workers' compensation claims, regardless of
28	28	the amount in controversy.
29	29	SECTION 3. Section 25.0014, Government Code, is amended to
30	30	read as follows:
31	31	Sec. 25.0014. QUALIFICATIONS OF JUDGE. The judge of a
32	32	statutory county court must:
33	33	(1) be at least 30 [25] years of age;
34	34	(2) be a United States citizen and have resided in the
35	35	county for at least two years before election or appointment; and
36	36	(3) be a licensed attorney in this state who has
37	37	practiced law or served as a judge of a court in this state, or both
38	38	combined, for the four years preceding election or appointment,
39	39	unless otherwise provided for by law.
40	40	SECTION 4. Section 25.0033, Government Code, is amended to
41	41	read as follows:
42	42	Sec. 25.0033. QUALIFICATIONS OF JUDGE. The judge of a
43	43	statutory probate court must:
44	44	(1) be at least 30 [25] years of age;
45	45	(2) be a United States citizen and have resided in the
46	46	county for at least two years before election or appointment; and
47	47	(3) be a licensed attorney in this state who has
48	48	practiced law or served as a judge of a court in this state, or both
49	49	combined, for the five years preceding election or appointment,
50	50	unless otherwise provided for by law.
51	51	SECTION 5. Section 26.042(a), Government Code, is amended
52	52	to read as follows:
53	53	(a) A county court has concurrent jurisdiction with the
54	54	justice courts in civil cases in which the matter in controversy
55	55	exceeds $200 in value but does not exceed $20,000 [$10,000],
56	56	exclusive of interest.
57	57	SECTION 6. Section 27.031(a), Government Code, is amended
58	58	to read as follows:
59	59	(a) In addition to the jurisdiction and powers provided by
60	60	the constitution and other law, the justice court has original
61	61	jurisdiction of:
62	62	(1) civil matters in which exclusive jurisdiction is
63	63	not in the district or county court and in which the amount in
64	64	controversy is not more than $20,000 [$10,000], exclusive of
65	65	interest;
66	66	(2) cases of forcible entry and detainer;
67	67	(3) foreclosure of mortgages and enforcement of liens
68	68	on personal property in cases in which the amount in controversy is
69	69	otherwise within the justice court's jurisdiction; and
70	70	(4) cases arising under Chapter 707, Transportation
71	71	Code, outside a municipality's territorial limits.
72	72	SECTION 7. Section 30.00006(c), Government Code, is amended
73	73	to read as follows:
74	74	(c) A municipal judge must:
75	75	(1) be a resident of this state;
76	76	(2) be a citizen of the United States;
77	77	(3) be a licensed attorney in good standing; [and]
78	78	(4) have eight [two] or more years of experience in the
79	79	practice of law or as a judge of a court in this state, or both
80	80	combined, preceding election or appointment; and
81	81	(5) be at least 25 years of age.
82	82	SECTION 8. Section 26.042(d), Government Code, is repealed.
83	83	SECTION 9. Sections 25.0014, 25.0033, and 30.00006(c),
84	84	Government Code, as amended by this Act, and Section 27.007,
85	85	Government Code, as added by this Act, apply only to a judge or
86	86	justice of the peace who is elected or appointed on or after the
87	87	effective date of this Act. A judge or justice of the peace elected
88	88	or appointed before the effective date of this Act continues to
89	89	serve for the term to which the judge or justice of the peace was
90	90	elected or appointed unless otherwise removed as provided by law.
91	91	SECTION 10. Sections 24.007(b), 25.0003(c), 26.042(a), and
92	92	27.031(a), Government Code, as amended by this Act, and the repeal
93	93	of Section 26.042(d), Government Code, by this Act, apply only to a
94	94	cause of action filed on or after the effective date of this Act. A
95	95	cause of action filed before the effective date of this Act is
96	96	governed by the law in effect immediately before that date, and that
97	97	law is continued in effect for that purpose.
98	98	SECTION 11. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.