HBA-RBT H.B. 3825 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3825 By: Counts Judicial Affairs 4/26/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The 50th Judicial District is composed of Baylor, Cottle, King, and Knox counties. Currently, county judges in the 50th Judicial District can not accept a not guilty plea. In order to set a trial date and start proceedings the County judge must turn the case over to the district judge. H.B. 3825 provides that the district court in Baylor, Cottle, King, and Knox counties has the civil jurisdiction of a county court in addition to other jurisdiction provided by law, rather than the civil and criminal jurisdiction of a county court except for the jurisdiction each county court retains to receive and enter guilty pleas in misdemeanor cases. This bill also provides that the county court has the general criminal jurisdiction of a county court. 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 24.152(b), Government Code, Government Code, to provide that the district court in Baylor, Cottle, King, and Knox counties has the civil jurisdiction of a county court in addition to other jurisdiction provided by law, rather than the civil and criminal jurisdiction of a county court except for the jurisdiction each county court retains to receive and enter guilty pleas in misdemeanor cases. SECTION 2. Amends Section 26.235, Government Code, to provide that the county court of King County has the general criminal jurisdiction of a county court. Makes conforming changes. SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 4. Emergency clause.