HBA-EDN C.S.H.B. 3663 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 3663 By: Thompson Judicial Affairs 4/24/2001 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, the jurisdiction of the fifteen statutory county criminal courts in Harris County is limited to Class A and Class B misdemeanors and appeals from the justice and municipal courts within the county. C.S.H.B. 3663 expands the courts' jurisdiction by permitting them to hear civil cases ancillary to their criminal jurisdiction. 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. 3663 amends the Government Code to delete the provision limiting the jurisdiction of a county criminal court at law in Harris County to only criminal matters. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 3663 modifies the original by deleting the requirement that a county criminal court at law in Harris County (court) give preference to criminal matters. The substitute provides that a court has the criminal jurisdiction provided by law for county courts and appellate jurisdiction in appeals of criminal cases from justice courts and municipal courts in the county.