HBA-LCA, S.B. 158 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 158 By: Luna, Greg Judicial Affairs 4/14/1999 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Population growth in San Antonio is straining the Bexar County court system. S.B. 158 creates County Courts at Law No. 10, 11, and 12 in Bexar County, and requires that these courts give preference to certain cases. This bill also redesignates County Court at Law No. 1 and Probate Court of Bexar County, Texas, as the County Court at Law No. 1 of Bexar County, Texas. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 25.0171(b), Government Code, to add County Court at Law No. 1 of Bexar County, Texas, County Court at Law No. 10 of Bexar County, Texas; County Court at Law No. 11 of Bexar County, Texas; and County Court at Law No. 12 of Bexar County, Texas. (County Court at Law No. 1 and Probate Court of Bexar County, Texas is redesignated as County Court at Law No. 1 of Bexar County, Texas in SECTION 6 of this Act.) Makes conforming changes. SECTION 2. Amends Section 25.0172, Government Code, by adding Subsections (a) and (b), and amending Subsections (c), (d), (l), (n), (o), (u), and (v), to require County Court at Law No. 1 to give preference to criminal cases, County Court at Law No. 10 to give preference to civil cases, and County Courts at Law Nos. 11 and 12 to give preference to criminal cases and appeals de novo from the municipal and justice courts. Makes conforming changes. SECTION 3. Amends Sections 25.0173(n) and (o), Government Code, to make conforming changes. SECTION 4. Repealer: Section 25.0171(a), Government Code, which provides that Bexar County has one county court at law and statutory probate court, the County Court at Law and Probate Court of Bexar County, Texas. Section 25.0173(b), Government Code, relating to the jurisdiction of certain Bexar County courts. SECTION 5. Requires the judge of County Court No. 1 and Probate Court of Bexar County, on the effective date of this Act, to transfer all pending mental illness proceedings to Probate Court No. 1 of Bexar County, Texas. SECTION 6. Provides that the repeal of Subsection 25.0171(a) under this Act is intended as a redesignation of the County Court at Law No. 1 and Probate Court of Bexar County, Texas, as the County Court at Law No. 1 of Bexar County, Texas, by amending Section 25.0171(b)(1), Government Code. Provides that this redesignation does not affect the office of the judge of that court, and that the judge, unless otherwise removed, continues to serve for the term to which elected. SECTION 7. Provides that the County Courts at Law Nos. 10, 11, and 12 of Bexar County, Texas, are created and that this Act takes effect on September 1, 1999. SECTION 8. Emergency clause.