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          AN ACT
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        relating to the 1st Multicounty County Court at Law. | 
      
      
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               BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
      
      
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               SECTION 1.  Section 25.2702, Government Code, is amended by  | 
      
      
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        amending Subsections (a) and (d) and adding Subsection (g) to read  | 
      
      
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        as follows: | 
      
      
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               (a)  In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section  | 
      
      
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        25.0003 and other law, the 1st Multicounty Court at Law has  | 
      
      
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        concurrent jurisdiction with the district court in: | 
      
      
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                     (1)  family law cases and proceedings; and | 
      
      
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                     (2)  felony criminal cases. | 
      
      
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               (d)  The judge of the county court at law shall appoint an  | 
      
      
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        official court reporter.  The judge may appoint a court  | 
      
      
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        administrator to aid the judge in the performance of the judge's  | 
      
      
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        duties.  The  [An] official court reporter and the court  | 
      
      
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        administrator of the county court at law are [is] entitled to  | 
      
      
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        receive the same salary and to be paid in the same manner as the  | 
      
      
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        official court reporter and court administrator, respectively, of  | 
      
      
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        the district court in the administrative county for the court [a 
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          salary set by the commissioners courts in the counties the reporter 
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          serves to be paid out of the county treasuries, either by salary or 
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          by contract as set by the commissioners courts].  The clerk of the  | 
      
      
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        court shall tax as costs, in each civil, criminal, and probate case  | 
      
      
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        in which a record of any part of the evidence in the case is made by  | 
      
      
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        the reporter, a stenographer's fee of $25.  The fee shall be paid in  | 
      
      
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        the same manner as other costs in the case.  The clerk collects the  | 
      
      
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        fee and pays it into the general funds of the counties. | 
      
      
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               (g)  The judge of the county court at law is entitled to  | 
      
      
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        travel expenses and necessary office expenses as authorized by the  | 
      
      
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        commissioners court of the administrative county. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 2.  Section 3.07(b), Chapter 1182 (S.B. 1139), Acts  | 
      
      
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        of the 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, which amends  | 
      
      
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        Section 25.2701, Government Code, to be effective January 1, 2019,  | 
      
      
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        is repealed. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. | 
      
      
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        ______________________________ | 
        ______________________________ | 
      
      
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           President of the Senate | 
        Speaker of the House      | 
      
      
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               I certify that H.B. No. 4281 was passed by the House on May  | 
      
      
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        19, 2017, by the following vote:  Yeas 141, Nays 3, 2 present, not  | 
      
      
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        voting. | 
      
      
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        ______________________________ | 
      
      
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        Chief Clerk of the House    | 
      
      
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               I certify that H.B. No. 4281 was passed by the Senate on May  | 
      
      
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        24, 2017, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0. | 
      
      
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        ______________________________ | 
      
      
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        Secretary of the Senate     | 
      
      
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        APPROVED:  _____________________ | 
      
      
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                           Date           | 
      
      
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                  _____________________ | 
      
      
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                         Governor        |