88R6685 JTZ-F
By: Nichols S.B. No. 2573
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the jurisdiction of the 411th District Court and of the
County Court at Law of Polk County.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 24.553, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
(c) The 411th District Court has concurrent jurisdiction in
Polk County with the county court over all misdemeanor cases over
which the county court has jurisdiction under the constitution and
laws of this state. Cases in the concurrent misdemeanor
jurisdiction may be filed in either court, and all cases of
concurrent misdemeanor jurisdiction may be transferred between the
411th District Court and the county court. A case may not be
transferred from one court to another without the consent of the
judge of the court to which it is transferred, and a case may not be
transferred unless it is within the jurisdiction of the court to
which it is transferred.
SECTION 2. Sections 25.1892(a) and (e), Government Code,
are amended to read as follows:
(a) In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section
25.0003 and other law, a county court at law in Polk County has
concurrent [civil] jurisdiction with the district court in:
(1) cases and proceedings involving the collection of
delinquent taxes, penalties, interest, and costs and the
foreclosure of tax liens; [and]
(2) family law cases and proceedings; and
(3) felony cases to conduct arraignments and pre-trial
hearings and to accept guilty pleas.
(e) The district clerk serves as clerk of a county court at
law in cases of concurrent jurisdiction with the district court
[enumerated in Subsection (a)(2)], and the county clerk serves as
clerk in all other cases. [The district clerk shall establish a
separate docket for a county court at law.]
SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
a case filed or proceeding commenced on or after the effective date
of this Act. A case filed or proceeding commenced before the
effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the
date the case was filed or the proceeding was commenced, and the
former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.