85R8161 YDB-F     By: Lambert H.B. No. 4281       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to the 1st Multicounty County Court at Law.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 25.2702, Government Code, is amended by   amending Subsections (a), (d), and (h) and adding Subsection (g) to   read as follows:          (a)  In addition to the jurisdiction provided by Section   25.0003 and other law, the 1st Multicounty Court at Law has   concurrent jurisdiction with the district court in:                (1)  family law cases and proceedings; and                (2)  felony criminal cases.          (d)  The judge of the county court at law shall appoint an   official court reporter. The judge may appoint a court   administrator to aid the judge in the performance of the judge's   duties. The  [An] official court reporter and the court   administrator of the county court at law are [is] entitled to   receive the same salary and to be paid in the same manner as the   official court reporter and court administrator, respectively, of   the district court in the administrative county for the court [a   salary set by the commissioners courts in the counties the reporter   serves to be paid out of the county treasuries, either by salary or   by contract as set by the commissioners courts].  The clerk of the   court shall tax as costs, in each civil, criminal, and probate case   in which a record of any part of the evidence in the case is made by   the reporter, a stenographer's fee of $25.  The fee shall be paid in   the same manner as other costs in the case.  The clerk collects the   fee and pays it into the general funds of the counties.          (g)  The judge of the county court at law is entitled to   travel expenses and necessary office expenses as authorized by the   commissioners court of the administrative county.          (h)  Notwithstanding Section 74.121(b)(1), [in matters of   concurrent jurisdiction,] the judge of the 1st Multicounty Court at   Law and the judges of the district courts in Fisher, Mitchell, and   Nolan Counties may exchange benches and courtrooms and may transfer   cases between their dockets in the same manner that judges of   district courts exchange benches and transfer cases under Section   24.003.          SECTION 2.  Section 3.07(b), Chapter 1182 (S.B. 1139), Acts   of the 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, which amends   Section 25.2701, Government Code, is repealed.          SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.