By Zbranek                                             H.B. No. 215

      75R1122 MWV-F                           

                                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, 1998, is not subject to

2-13     Subsection (b).

2-14           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect January 1, 1998, but only

2-15     if the constitutional amendment proposed by the 75th Legislature,

2-16     Regular Session, 1997, 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.