73R9004 MWV-D
          By Raymond                                            H.B. No. 2174
          Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2174:
          By Cuellar of Webb                                C.S.H.B. No. 2174
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to qualifications of presiding judges of administrative
    1-3  judicial regions.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Section 74.045, Government Code, is amended to
    1-6  read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 74.045.  Qualifications of Presiding Judge.  (a)  A
    1-8  presiding judge must be <at the time of appointment>:
    1-9              (1)  a regularly elected or retired district judge;
   1-10              (2)  a former judge with at least 12 years of service
   1-11  as a district judge; <or>
   1-12              (3)  an active court of appeals justice <a retired
   1-13  appellate judge> with judicial experience on a district court; or
   1-14              (4)  a former or retired supreme court justice, court
   1-15  of criminal appeals judge, or court of appeals justice.
   1-16        (b)  If the judge or justice is a retired or former judge or
   1-17  justice, he must have voluntarily retired from or left office<,
   1-18  must reside within the administrative region,> and must have
   1-19  certified his willingness to serve.
   1-20        (c)  A presiding judge must reside within the administrative
   1-21  region at the time of appointment and while serving as presiding
   1-22  judge.
   1-23        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
   1-24        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-1  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-2  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-3  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-4  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.