By Puente H.B. No. 3203
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the election of municipal court of record judges in San
1-3 Antonio.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 30.084(b), Government Code, is amended to
1-6 read as follows:
1-7 (b) The city shall provide by charter for the <appointment
1-8 or> election of 10 full-time municipal judges from single-member
1-9 districts <a municipal judge>. Each judge representing a district
1-10 must reside in the district. The city council shall base the
1-11 districts on the boundaries of city council districts. The
1-12 selection must be for a term of four years. The city council shall
1-13 appoint, from a list supplied by a majority of the full-time
1-14 judges, persons to serve as part-time municipal judges. Part-time
1-15 judges serve at the will of the majority of the full-time judges
1-16 and do not serve a term. A vacancy in the office of part-time
1-17 judge is filled in the same manner as the original appointment.
1-18 SECTION 2. Section 30.084(e), Government Code, is amended to
1-19 read as follows:
1-20 (e) The full-time judges shall select, by majority vote, one
1-21 of the full-time judges to serve as presiding municipal judge for a
1-22 six-month term. There is no limit on the number of terms a judge
1-23 may serve as presiding municipal judge, but a judge may not serve
1-24 more than two consecutive terms as <If there is more than one
2-1 municipal judge, the governing body shall appoint one of the judges
2-2 to be the presiding municipal judge. If the city has only one
2-3 municipal judge or only one permanent, full-time municipal judge,
2-4 that judge is the> presiding municipal judge.
2-5 SECTION 3. A municipal court of record judge in San Antonio
2-6 in office on the effective date of this Act, unless otherwise
2-7 removed from office, continues to serve until judges have been
2-8 elected or appointed as provided by this Act. Five judges shall be
2-9 elected in May 1997 with terms that expire in 2001. Five judges
2-10 shall be elected in May 1999 with terms that expire in 2003. The
2-11 city council shall determine from which districts the voters elect
2-12 judges in 1997 and 1999. The city council shall appoint five
2-13 judges in 1997. The judges appointed under this Act in 1997
2-14 continue to serve, unless otherwise removed from office, until five
2-15 judges are elected in 1999.
2-16 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
2-17 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-18 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-19 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-20 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.