HBA-BSM H.B. 3696 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3696
By: Hinojosa
Judicial Affairs
5/1/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, Hidalgo County has four county courts at law with jurisdiction
over civil as well as criminal matters.  In recent years, the dockets of
these courts have greatly increased.  In particular, these courts find
themselves devoting a larger portion of their time to criminal pretrial
hearings and trials.  House Bill 3696 creates the County Criminal Court at
law of Hidalgo County which solely deals with criminal cases and the County
Court at Law No. 5 of Hidalgo County.  The bill redesignates the County
Court at Law No. 3 as the statutory probate court of Hidalgo 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. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 3696 amends the Government Code to create the County Court at
Law No. 5 of Hidalgo County and the County Criminal Court at Law of Hidalgo
County.  The bill redesignates County Court at Law No. 3 as the Probate
Court of Hidalgo County.  The bill provides that a county criminal court at
law in Hidalgo County has jurisdiction over all criminal causes and
proceedings, original and appellate, prescribed by law for county courts.
The bill also provides that a judge of a statutory probate court must be a
qualified voter, a resident of the county, and a licensed attorney in this
state who has actively practiced law for at least the five years preceding
the date of election or appointment.  The judge of the County Court at Law
No. 3 is the judge of the probate court and serves until December 31, 2002.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.