This bill amends the conciliation court statute to give the court jurisdiction over a civil action commenced by the county in which it is established to recover specified debts owed to the county, even though the defendant is not a county resident.

The general rule is that claims must be brought in the county of residence of the defendant. Current law already contains some exceptions to this rule. For example, an action to recover the amount of a student loan may be brought in the county where the administrative offices of the educational institution are located, even though the defendant is not a resident. An action for damages arising from the landlord and tenant relationship may be brought in the county in which the rental property is located and an action to recover the amount of a dishonored check may be brought in the county where the check was issued.