By Danburg H.B. No. 3142
75R1716 MWV-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the qualifications of a judge of a statutory county
1-3 court.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 25.0014, Government Code, is amended to
1-6 read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 25.0014. QUALIFICATIONS OF JUDGE. (a) The judge of a
1-8 statutory county court must:
1-9 (1) [be at least 25 years of age;]
1-10 [(2)] have resided in the county for at least two
1-11 years before election or appointment; and
1-12 (2) [(3)] be a licensed attorney in this state who has
1-13 practiced law or served as a judge of a court in this state, or
1-14 both combined, for the 10 [four] years preceding election or
1-15 appointment[, unless otherwise provided for by law].
1-16 (b) This section prevails over any other law that
1-17 establishes a minimum legal experience requirement for a particular
1-18 judge of a statutory county court at a number of years less than
1-19 the number provided by Subsection (a)(2), but does not affect a
1-20 minimum legal experience requirement set by other law that equals
1-21 or exceeds the number provided by Subsection (a)(2).
1-22 SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act relating to
1-23 the qualifications for a judge of a statutory county court apply
1-24 only to persons elected or appointed on or after the effective date
2-1 of this Act. A judge elected or appointed before the effective
2-2 date of this Act serves for the term to which elected or appointed
2-3 unless otherwise removed from office.
2-4 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
2-5 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-6 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-7 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-8 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-9 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-10 passage, and it is so enacted.