Texas House Bill HB44

Texas 2025 - 89th 2nd C.S.

• Filed: 8/15/25
• Filed: 8/18/25

Summary

HB 44 expands and clarifies the jurisdiction and operating authority of the County Court at Law in Atascosa County. The bill adds civil jurisdiction for cases in which the amount in controversy exceeds the general statutory limit but does not exceed $1 million, and it specifically includes property-title disputes, lien enforcement actions, trials of right to property, and recovery of real property. It also confirms the court’s existing concurrent jurisdiction over certain misdemeanor, family, juvenile, probate, and lower-court appeal matters. The bill further authorizes the county court at law judge in Atascosa County to be assigned to any district court in the county under Chapter 74 of the Government Code, and provides that when so assigned the judge may hear any matter pending in the district court. It also updates the judge’s compensation provision by tying pay to Section 25.0005 rather than the prior salary formula. The bill applies prospectively only to cases filed or proceedings commenced on or after its effective date, which is 91 days after the legislative session ends.

Impact

HB 44 amends Section 25.0092 of the Government Code and changes the jurisdictional reach of the Atascosa County Court at Law. It expands the court’s civil docket, authorizes broader assignment of the county court at law judge to district court matters, and modernizes the salary reference for the judge. The bill affects litigants in Atascosa County by shifting more mid-range civil disputes and property-related cases into the county court at law and by increasing judicial flexibility in managing local court workloads.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee discussion or votes in the provided materials, the overall sentiment appears neutral and administrative rather than controversial. The measure reads as a local court-organization bill intended to improve jurisdictional clarity, case management, and judicial assignment flexibility in Atascosa County. No recorded opposition, amendments, or vote history is available in the provided context.

Contention

No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential areas that could draw attention, based on the bill’s substance, include the expansion of civil jurisdiction up to $1 million, the ability of a county court at law judge to sit in district court, and the compensation update tied to statutory county court judge pay. However, there is no transcript or vote record here showing any member or stakeholder objecting to those provisions.