By Cain                                          S.B. No. 421

      75R597 RJA-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the assignment of certain former district judges as

 1-3     visiting judges.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 74.055(e), Government Code, is amended to

 1-6     read as follows:

 1-7           (e)  For purposes of Subsections [Subsection] (c)(1) and (f),

 1-8     a month of service is calculated as a calendar month or a portion

 1-9     of a calendar month in which a judge was authorized by election or

1-10     appointment by the governor to preside.

1-11           SECTION 2.  Section 74.055, Government Code, is amended by

1-12     adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:

1-13           (f)  A former district judge is not required to meet the 48

1-14     months of service requirement in Subsection (c)(1) to be eligible

1-15     to be named on the list if the judge:

1-16                 (1)  has served as a constitutional county judge for at

1-17     least 48 months; and

1-18                 (2)  was licensed as an attorney in this state for at

1-19     least 48 months of the judge's tenure as a constitutional county

1-20     judge.

1-21           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

1-22     applies to the assignment of a former district judge under Chapter

1-23     74, Government Code, made on or after that date.  An assignment

1-24     made before the effective date of this Act is covered by the law in

 2-1     effect on the date the assignment was made, and that law is

 2-2     continued in effect for that purpose.

 2-3           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-4     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-5     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-6     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-7     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.