House Bill No. 44 amends Section 25.0092 of the Government Code to expand the jurisdiction of the County Court at Law in Atascosa County. The bill adds new provisions that grant the court concurrent jurisdiction with the district court over appeals from justice and municipal courts, as well as civil cases where the matter in controversy exceeds the maximum amount provided by Section 25.0003 but does not exceed $1 million. This includes specific types of civil suits such as those concerning title to property, enforcement of liens, and recovery of real property. Additionally, a new subsection is introduced that allows judges of the county court at law to be assigned to any district court in Atascosa County, enabling them to hear matters pending in those courts.

The bill also modifies the compensation structure for the judge of the county court at law, specifying that their salary will be determined as provided by Section 25.0005, rather than being set by the commissioners court at a specified amount less than that of a district judge. This change removes the previous requirement that the county court judge's salary be at least $1,000 less than that of a district judge. The provisions of the amended section will apply only to cases filed or proceedings commenced on or after the effective date of the Act, with prior cases governed by the law in effect at the time they were filed. The Act is set to take effect 91 days after the conclusion of the legislative session.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Government Code 25.0092 (Government Code 25)