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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to additional qualifications of justices and judges of |
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certain courts. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 21, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Section 21.0045 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 21.0045. ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS OF JUSTICE OR |
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JUDGE. (a) A person is not eligible to be a candidate for or to |
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serve as a justice of the supreme court or a court of appeals or a |
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judge of the court of criminal appeals, a district court, a |
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statutory county court, or a statutory probate court unless the |
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person has: |
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(1) served for not less than one year as a justice or |
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judge of a court listed in this subsection; or |
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(2) practiced for not less than one year in a court of |
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equivalent or greater jurisdiction than the court in which the |
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person will serve. |
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(b) The requirements of this section are in addition to |
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qualifications required by Article V, Texas Constitution, and other |
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law. |
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SECTION 2. Section 21.0045, Government Code, as added by |
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this Act, applies only to a judge or justice who is elected or |
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appointed on or after the effective date of this Act. A judge or |
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justice elected or appointed before the effective date of this Act |
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continues to serve for the term to which the judge or justice was |
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elected or appointed unless otherwise removed as provided by law. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |