By Zbranek                                            H.B. No. 2046
       74R7376 MWV-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the qualifications of a district court judge.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Section 24.001, Government Code, is amended to
    1-5  read as follows:
    1-6        Sec. 24.001.  QUALIFICATIONS <AGE QUALIFICATION> OF JUDGES.
    1-7  (a) A district judge must be:
    1-8              (1)  at least 35 <25> years old;
    1-9              (2)  a citizen of the United States;
   1-10              (3)  a resident of the judicial district served by the
   1-11  judge who has resided in the district for at least one year before
   1-12  taking office; and
   1-13              (4)  licensed to practice law in this state.
   1-14        (b)  In addition to the requirements in Subsection (a), a
   1-15  district judge must:
   1-16              (1)  have practiced law in this state, other than
   1-17  serving as a judge, for at least 10 years before taking office and:
   1-18                    (A)  be certified by the Texas Board of Legal
   1-19  Specialization as having special competence in:
   1-20                          (i)  administrative law;
   1-21                          (ii)  bankruptcy law;
   1-22                          (iii)  civil appellate law;
   1-23                          (iv)  civil trial law;
   1-24                          (v)  consumer law;
    2-1                          (vi)  criminal law;
    2-2                          (vii)  family law;
    2-3                          (viii)  immigration law; or
    2-4                          (ix)  personal injury law; or
    2-5                    (B)  have served as a judge of a county court at
    2-6  law, a district court, or the court of criminal appeals, or as a
    2-7  justice of a court of appeals or the supreme court; or
    2-8              (2)  have practiced law in this state, other than
    2-9  serving as a judge, for at least 15 years.
   2-10        (c)  A person serving as a district court judge, justice of a
   2-11  court of appeals, judge of the court of criminal appeals, or
   2-12  justice of the supreme court on January 1, 1996, is not subject to
   2-13  Subsection (b).
   2-14        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect January 1, 1996, but only
   2-15  if the constitutional amendment proposed by the 74th Legislature,
   2-16  Regular Session, 1995, relating to allowing the legislature to
   2-17  establish the qualifications for district court judges, is approved
   2-18  by the voters.  If that amendment is not approved by the voters,
   2-19  this Act has no effect.
   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.