The bill amends Section 25.0212 of the Government Code to enhance the jurisdiction of the County Court at Law in Bowie County. It establishes that the court has concurrent jurisdiction with district courts in various areas, including specialty court programs, misdemeanor cases, family law cases (including juvenile matters), and probate and guardianship matters. Additionally, it specifies that the court does not have jurisdiction over felony criminal matters, certain civil cases exceeding a specified amount, and other defined exclusions. The bill also modifies the composition of juries in civil or criminal matters, stating that juries will typically consist of 12 members, except in misdemeanor cases where they will consist of six members.

Furthermore, the bill provides for the compensation of the official court reporter of the county court at law, aligning their pay with that of district court reporters in Bowie County. It allows for the transfer of cases between the county court at law and district court judges in matters of concurrent jurisdiction, mirroring the existing provisions for district court judges. The bill repeals a subsection of the current law and is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Government Code 25.0212 (Government Code 25)