By: Whitmire S.B. No. 620 73R4647 JSA-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the term of office of a municipal judge. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Section 29.005, Government Code, is amended to 1-5 read as follows: 1-6 Sec. 29.005. Term of Office. (a) The judge of a municipal 1-7 court serves for a term of office of two years unless the 1-8 municipality provides for a longer term pursuant to Article XI, 1-9 Section 11, of the Texas Constitution. 1-10 (b) In a municipality that provides by charter or ordinance 1-11 that a municipal judge serves at the pleasure of the mayor, the 1-12 governing body, or both, and that does not specify by charter or 1-13 ordinance the date on which the term of office of a municipal judge 1-14 begins, a term of office begins on the date that the term of office 1-15 of the mayor begins. If the term of office of a municipal judge is 1-16 shorter than the term of office of the mayor, a new term of the 1-17 office of municipal judge begins on the date the term beginning on 1-18 the same date as the mayor's term expires. That new term expires 1-19 on the date the next mayor's term begins. 1-20 SECTION 2. Section 30.486, Government Code, is amended by 1-21 amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (i) to read as 1-22 follows: 1-23 (b) The governing body of the city shall provide by charter 1-24 or by ordinance for the term of office of its municipal judges. 2-1 The term must be for a definite term of not less than two nor more 2-2 than four years, the duration of which within these limits shall be 2-3 determined by charter, ordinance, or the method prescribed by 2-4 Article XI, Section 11, of the Texas Constitution. If the city 2-5 does not specify the duration of the term, the term is a two-year 2-6 term unless a shorter term is required by Subsection (i). A 2-7 municipal judge may continue in office after the end of the judge's 2-8 term for not more than 90 days or until his successor is selected 2-9 and qualified, whichever occurs first. 2-10 (i) In a city that provides by charter or ordinance that a 2-11 municipal judge serves at the pleasure of the mayor, the governing 2-12 body, or both, and that does not specify by charter or ordinance 2-13 the date on which the term of office of a municipal judge begins, 2-14 the term of office begins on the date that the term of office of 2-15 the mayor begins. If the term of office of a municipal judge is 2-16 shorter than the term of office of the mayor, a new term of the 2-17 office of municipal judge begins on the date the term beginning on 2-18 the same date as the mayor's term expires. That new term expires 2-19 on the date the next mayor's term begins. 2-20 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-21 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-22 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-23 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-24 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-25 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-26 passage, and it is so enacted.