By:  Duncan                                           S.B. No. 1173

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to holding at the same time more than one office of

 1-2     municipal judge filled by appointment.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 574.001, Government Code, is amended to

 1-5     read as follows:

 1-6           Sec. 574.001.  FINDING OF CONSTITUTIONAL COMPLIANCE.  (a)  A

 1-7     nonelective state officer may not accept an offer to serve in

 1-8     another nonelective office unless the officer obtains from the

 1-9     governing body or, if there is not a governing body, the executive

1-10     head of the agency, division, department, or institution with which

1-11     the officer is associated a finding that the officer has satisfied

1-12     Article XVI, Section 40, of the Texas Constitution.

1-13           (b)  A person may hold the office of municipal judge for more

1-14     than one municipality at the same time if each office is filled by

1-15     appointment.  The holding of these offices at the same time is of

1-16     benefit to this state.

1-17           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-18     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-19     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-20     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-21     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-22     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-23     passage, and it is so enacted.