HBA-EDN H.B. 3663 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3663 By: Thompson Judicial Affairs 4/10/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, the jurisdiction of the fifteen statutory county criminal courts in Harris County is limited to Class A and Class B misdemeanors and appeals from the justice and municipal courts within the county. House Bill 3663 expands the courts' jurisdiction by permitting them to hear civil cases ancillary to their criminal jurisdiction while still requiring that preference be given to criminal cases. 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. ANALYSIS House Bill 3663 amends the Government Code to require a Harris County criminal court at law to give preference to criminal law matters and to delete provisions limiting the courts' jurisdiction to only criminal matters. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.