HBA-BSM H.B. 2307 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2307 By: Clark Judicial Affairs 3/20/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, Cooke County has a county court and one district court. A burden is created by the county judge having the duty of overseeing the administration of the county as well as handling the judicial duties of a docket containing a backlog of approximately 2,200 cases that is growing by more than 100 cases each month. The result is that many cases remain on the court's docket for a number of years before being set for a hearing. The situation would be improved by the creation of a new court. House Bill 2307 creates a statutory county court in Cooke 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 2307 amends the Government Code to create the County Court at Law of Cooke County as the statutory county court on December 1, 2001. The bill provides that the judge of a county court at law in Cooke County must meet the qualifications of office for a district judge as well as the qualification of office for the judge of a statutory county court. The bill prohibits a judge of a county court at law from engaging in the private practice of law. The bill requires that the county court at law judge receives the same annual compensation that a district judge is entitled to receive. The bill sets forth provisions regarding the employment of certain individuals for the operation of each county court at law. The bill specifies the procedure for selecting jurors and juror pay. The bill sets forth provisions regarding practice and procedure, appeals, and writs of error for a county court at law. The bill authorizes the judges of each district court and county court at law in Cooke County to enter joint local administrative orders providing for the exchange of benches in cases in which a district court and county at law have concurrent jurisdiction. H.B. 2307 provides that the County Court of Cooke County does not have probate, guardianship, mental health, juvenile, civil, criminal, or appellate jurisdiction. The bill also exempts the judge of the county court from judicial training and instruction. EFFECTIVE DATE December 1, 2001.