HBA-AMW, EDN C.S.H.B. 200 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 200
By: Pitts
Judicial Affairs
3/30/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current law allows for only one county court in Ellis County.  Recently,
the population of Ellis County has grown because of the county's proximity
to Dallas and the county court has become backlogged with cases.  An
additional county court will decrease the number of backlogged cases and
allow for cases to be adjudicated at a faster rate.  C.S.H.B. 200 creates
an additional county court at law in Ellis 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

C.S.H.B. 200 amends the Government Code to create the County Court at Law
No. 2  of Ellis County and provides that the county courts at law of Ellis
County have concurrent jurisdiction with the district court in civil cases,
regardless of the amount in controversy.  The bill also provides that the
County Court at Law No. 2 of Ellis County is created December 31, 2003, or
on an earlier date determined by the commissioners court by an order in its
minutes.     

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 200 modifies the original by providing that the county courts at
law of Ellis County, rather than the County Court at Law No. 2, have
concurrent jurisdiction with the district court in civil cases.  The
substitute changes the creation date of County Court at Law No. 2 from May
1, 2003 to December 31, 2003.