SRC-ARR H.B. 1839 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center H.B. 1839 By: Smith (Moncrief) Jurisprudence 5/6/1999 Engrossed DIGEST The 75th Texas Legislature granted authority to the judges of each district court in Tarrant County that gives preferences to criminal cases to appoint two persons to serve as bailiffs. There are eight felony courts that regularly handle mostly felony cases in Tarrant County. Four of the eight courts were unaffected by the legislation because, although they are criminal district courts, they are not courts that are statutorily required to give preference to criminal cases. H.B. 1839 provides that each criminal court will have the same number of bailiffs as courts that give preference to criminal cases. PURPOSE As proposed, H.B. 1839 sets forth requirements for appointing bailiffs for the criminal district courts in Tarrant County. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 53.001(e), Government Code, to require the county sheriff to appoint one bailiff for each criminal district court Tarrant County in same manner as authorized by law. SECTION 2. Amends Section 53.002(g), Government Code, to authorize the judge of each criminal district court in Tarrant County to appoint two persons to serve as bailiffs. Authorizes the board of district judges of the courts in Tarrant County that gives preference to criminal cases and the criminal district courts in Tarrant Count to appoint one bailiff for each grand jury. Prohibits the total number of grand jury bailiffs from exceeding two. SECTION 3. Amends Section 53.003(b), Government Code, to make conforming changes. SECTION 4. Amends Section 53.004(b), Government Code, to require a person, to be eligible to be a bailiff or grand jury bailiff in a criminal district court in Tarrant County, to be a resident of the county in which the person serves the court and to be at least 21 years old. SECTION 5. Amends Section 53.006(c), Government Code, to provide that a bailiff or grand jury bailiff appointed under Section 53.002(g) by the judge of the 341st District Court, by a judge of a district court in Tarrant County that gives preference to criminal cases, or by a judge of a criminal district court in Tarrant County has only the duties assigned by the judge of the court that the bailiff or grand jury bailiff serves. SECTION 6. Amends Section 53.007(c), Government Code, to make a conforming change. SECTION 7. Amends Section 53.008, Government Code, to require the bailiffs and grand jury bailiffs of the criminal district courts in Tarrant County to swear to a certain oath. SECTION 8. Amends Section 53.009(f), Government Code, to provide that the bailiffs and grand jury bailiffs appointed by the judges of the criminal district courts in Tarrant County are entitled to receive a certain salary. SECTION 9. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 10. Emergency clause.