HBA-LCA H.B. 2705 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2705
By: Gallego
Judicial Affairs
4/15/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The Judicial Court Personnel Training Fund (fund) pays for continuing legal
education (CLE) for judges and court personnel.  However, current law does
not provide funding for every judicial position. Since the fund's creation
in 1985 by the 69th Legislature, the roles of associate judges, Title IV-D
masters, and referees have broadened.  H.B. 2705 increases, from $1 to $2,
the court cost imposed upon conviction of a criminal offense, and provides
that associate judges, Title IV-D masters, and referees may receive funds
for CLE. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 56.001(b), Government Code, to increase, from $1
to $2, the amount a person convicted of a criminal offense must pay as a
court cost. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 56.003(b), Government Code, to include full-time
associate judges appointed under Section 201.001, Family Code (Associate
Judge; Child Support Master), and fulltime masters, magistrates, referees,
and associate judges appointed under Chapter 54, Family Code (Masters;
Magistrates; Referees), among the persons for whose continuing legal
education up to onethird of the funds appropriated for any fiscal year may
be used. 

SECTION 3.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.  
                       Makes application of SECTION 1 this Act prospective.

SECTION 4.  Emergency clause.