85R7243 CAE-F     By: Bailes H.B. No. 2184       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to the operation and administration of the Walker County   Court at Law.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 25.2382, Government Code, is amended by   amending Subsections (a), (g), (h), (i), and (k) and adding   Subsection (m) to read as follows:          (a)  In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section   25.0003 and other law, a county court at law in Walker County has   concurrent jurisdiction with the district court in[:                [(1)]  family law cases and proceedings[; and                [(2)     cases and proceedings involving justiciable   controversies and differences between spouses, between parents, or   between parent and child, or between any of these and third   persons].          (g)  The district clerk serves as clerk of a county court at   law in family law cases and proceedings [the cases enumerated in   Subsections (a)(2)(B) and (C)], and the county clerk serves as   clerk of the court in all other matters. The commissioners court   may employ as many deputy sheriffs and bailiffs as are necessary to   serve a county court at law.          (h)  The judge of a county court at law shall set the [may,   instead of appointing an] official court reporter's salary at an   amount that does not exceed the salary of an official court reporter   for a district court [reporter, contract for the services of a court   reporter under guidelines established by the commissioners court].          (i)  Except as otherwise required by law, a jury in a county   court at law shall be composed of six members [If a family law case   is tried before a jury, the jury shall be composed of 12 members].          (k)  All cases appealed from the justice courts and other   courts of inferior jurisdiction in the county shall be made   directly [direct] to a county court at law, unless otherwise   provided by law.          (m)  The judge of a county court at law and a judge of a   district court may exchange benches and transfer cases with the   approval of the judges and in the same manner that judges of   district courts exchange benches and transfer cases under Section   24.003.          SECTION 2.  Section 25.2382(e), Government Code, is   repealed.          SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.