Bill > HB1749

This bill allows municipal governing bodies to expand the jurisdiction of municipal courts by ordinance to include several specific legal powers. Specifically, the courts can now have civil jurisdiction to enforce municipal ordinances related to local government property maintenance and transportation codes, gain concurrent jurisdiction with district or county courts for health and safety and nuisance abatement issues within municipal territorial limits, and obtain authority to issue specialized warrants. These warrants include search warrants to investigate potential ordinance violations and seizure warrants that permit securing, removing, or demolishing properties that are deemed problematic and cleaning up associated debris. The expanded court powers apply both within municipal boundaries and on municipality-owned property in extraterritorial jurisdictions. The bill is set to take effect on September 1, 2025, giving municipalities time to prepare and implement these new court capabilities.