BILL ANALYSIS S.B. 691 By: West Jurisprudence 4-12-95 Committee Report (Amended) BACKGROUND Currently, when a county judge is suspended the county is in limbo for the duration of the suspension. Suspension leaves a county judge unable to vote on matters before the commissioners court or carrying out various administrative functions. County commissioners can only fill the position of county judge if the county judge is removed from office by the Commission on Judicial Conduct or a district judge. PURPOSE As proposed, S.B. 691 authorizes the commissioners court, upon the suspension of a constitutional county judge, to appoint a county resident to fill the office and to compensate the acting judge. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 26, Government Code, by adding Section 26.015, as follows: Sec. 26.015. APPOINTMENT OF ACTING OF COUNTY JUDGE. (a) Authorizes the commissioners court, upon the suspension of a constitutional county judge, to appoint a county resident to fill the office until the next term of that officer or until the suspension ends, whichever occurs first. (b) Requires the commissioners court to compensate the acting judge in an amount equal to the compensation of the regular judge over the same time period. Requires this requirement to be considered an emergency for budget amendment purposes. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1995. SECTION 3. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.