HBA-RBT S.B. 376 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 376
By: Nelson
Judicial Affairs
5/5/1999
Engrossed



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the court dockets in Denton County are overcrowded and
overburdened, in part due to an increase in the population growth rate.
S.B. 376 would add County Criminal Court No. 5 of Denton County to the
statutory county courts in Denton County. 

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 25.0631(a), Government Code, to create the
County Criminal Court No.  5 of Denton County. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 25.0632, Government Code, adding Subsection (j),
to provide that Section 25.006 (relating to bond and removal), Government
Code, does not apply to a statutory county court in Denton County. 

SECTION 3.  Amends Section 25.0633(c), Government Code, to provide that
County Court at Law No.  1 of Denton County does have jurisdiction over
civil and civil appellate matters. 

SECTION 4.  Amends Section 25.0634(b), Government Code, to remove the
prohibition on county criminal courts from hearing civil and civil
appellate matters. 

SECTION 5.  Effective date: October 1, 2000.  Provides that SECTIONS 3 and
4 take effect September 1, 1999, if S.B. No.  1163, Acts of the 76th
Legislature, Regular Session, 1999, is enacted and becomes law, and that if
S.B. 1163 is not enacted, SECTIONS 3 and 4 have no effect. 

SECTION 6.  Emergency clause.