1-1 By: Harris S.B. No. 624
1-2 (In the Senate - Filed February 16, 1995; February 20, 1995,
1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence;
1-4 March 16, 1995, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 6,
1-5 Nays 0; March 16, 1995, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to the appointment of bailiffs for the 371st District
1-9 Court.
1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11 SECTION 1. Subsection (a), Section 53.001, Government Code,
1-12 is amended to read as follows:
1-13 (a) The judges of the 22nd, 30th, 70th, 71st, 78th, 89th,
1-14 161st, and 341st district courts, the judges of the district courts
1-15 having jurisdiction in Taylor County, the judges of the county
1-16 courts at law of Taylor County, and the judge of the County Court
1-17 of Harrison County shall each appoint a bailiff. The judges
1-18 <judge> of the 297th and 371st district courts <District Court>
1-19 shall appoint two persons to serve as bailiffs and one person to
1-20 serve as grand jury bailiff.
1-21 SECTION 2. Subsection (e), Section 53.001, Government Code,
1-22 is amended to read as follows:
1-23 (e) The county sheriff shall appoint one bailiff for the
1-24 297th District Court and one bailiff for the 371st District Court
1-25 in the same manner as authorized by law.
1-26 SECTION 3. Subsection (b), Section 53.003, Government Code,
1-27 is amended to read as follows:
1-28 (b) The judge of each court listed in Sections 53.001(d),
1-29 53.002(a), 53.002(c), and 53.002(e) and the judges of the 297th,
1-30 <and> 341st, and 371st district courts shall give each
1-31 commissioners court in the judicial district written notification
1-32 of the bailiff's or grand jury bailiff's appointment and date of
1-33 employment. The judge of each court listed in Section 53.002(c)
1-34 and the judges <judge> of the 297th and 371st district courts
1-35 <District Court> shall also give each commissioners court written
1-36 notification of the compensation to be paid by the county.
1-37 SECTION 4. Subsection (b), Section 53.004, Government Code,
1-38 is amended to read as follows:
1-39 (b) To be eligible to be appointed bailiff in the 30th,
1-40 78th, 86th, 89th, 97th, or 341st district court, the County Court
1-41 of Harrison County, a court described in Section 53.002(c), a
1-42 district court in Taylor County, a county court at law of Taylor
1-43 County, or bailiff or grand jury bailiff in the 297th or 371st
1-44 district court <District Court>, a person must be a resident of the
1-45 county in which the person serves the court and must be at least 21
1-46 years old.
1-47 SECTION 5. Subsection (c), Section 53.006, Government Code,
1-48 is amended to read as follows:
1-49 (c) A bailiff or grand jury bailiff appointed under Section
1-50 53.001(d), 53.002(a), 53.002(c), or 53.002(e) or by the judges of
1-51 the 297th, <and> 341st, and 371st district courts has only the
1-52 duties assigned by the judge of the court that the bailiff or grand
1-53 jury bailiff serves.
1-54 SECTION 6. Subsection (a), Section 53.007, Government Code,
1-55 is amended to read as follows:
1-56 (a) This section applies to:
1-57 (1) the 22nd, 34th, 70th, 71st, 86th, 97th, 142nd,
1-58 161st, 238th, 297th, 318th, 341st, <and> 355th, and 371st district
1-59 courts;
1-60 (2) the County Court of Harrison County;
1-61 (3) the criminal district courts of Tarrant County;
1-62 (4) the district courts in Taylor County;
1-63 (5) the courts described in Section 53.002(c),
1-64 53.002(d), or 53.002(e); and
1-65 (6) the county courts at law of Taylor County.
1-66 SECTION 7. Subsection (c), Section 53.007, Government Code,
1-67 is amended to read as follows:
1-68 (c) A request under this section by a judge of a court
2-1 listed in Section 53.001(d), 53.002(a), 53.002(c), or 53.002(e), by
2-2 the judges of the 297th, <and> 341st, and 371st district courts, by
2-3 the judge of a district court in Taylor County, or by the judge of
2-4 a county court at law of Taylor County must be in writing.
2-5 SECTION 8. Section 53.008, Government Code, is amended to
2-6 read as follows:
2-7 Sec. 53.008. Oath. The bailiffs of the 22nd, 34th, 70th,
2-8 86th, 97th, 142nd, 161st, 238th, 297th, 318th, 341st, <and> 355th,
2-9 and 371st district courts, the bailiffs of the courts described in
2-10 Section 53.002(c), 53.002(d), or 53.002(e), the grand jury bailiff
2-11 of the 297th or 371st district court <District Court>, the bailiffs
2-12 of the district courts in Taylor County, and the bailiffs of the
2-13 county courts at law of Taylor County shall each swear to the
2-14 following oath, to be administered by the judge: "I solemnly swear
2-15 that I will faithfully and impartially perform all duties as may be
2-16 required of me by law, so help me God."
2-17 SECTION 9. Subsection (f), Section 53.009, Government Code,
2-18 is amended to read as follows:
2-19 (f) The bailiffs and grand jury bailiff appointed by the
2-20 judges <judge> of the 297th and 371st district courts <District
2-21 Court> are entitled to receive from the county general fund a
2-22 salary set in writing by the judge.
2-23 SECTION 10. The importance of this legislation and the
2-24 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-25 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-26 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-27 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
2-28 * * * * *