1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to authorizing the appointment of certain visiting
 1-3     associate judges.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 201, Family Code, is
 1-6     amended by adding Section 201.018 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 201.018.  VISITING ASSOCIATE JUDGE.  (a)  If an
 1-8     associate judge appointed under this subchapter is temporarily
 1-9     unable to perform the judge's official duties because of absence or
1-10     illness, injury, or other disability, a judge of a court having
1-11     jurisdiction of a suit under this title or Title 1 or 4 may appoint
1-12     a visiting associate judge to perform the duties of the associate
1-13     judge during the period of the associate judge's absence or
1-14     disability if the commissioners court of a county in which the
1-15     court has jurisdiction authorizes the employment of a visiting
1-16     associate judge.
1-17           (b)  To be eligible for appointment under this section, a
1-18     person must have served as an associate judge for at least six
1-19     years.
1-20           (c)  Sections 201.001 through 201.017 apply to a visiting
1-21     associate judge appointed under this section.
1-22           (d)  This section does not apply to a master appointed under
1-23     Subchapter B.
1-24           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-1     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-2     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-3     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-4     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
 2-5     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
 2-6     passage, and it is so enacted.
         _______________________________     _______________________________
             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House
               I certify that H.B. No. 869 was passed by the House on March
         25, 1999, by a non-record vote; that the House refused to concur in
         Senate amendments to H.B. No. 869 on May 8, 1999, and requested the
         appointment of a conference committee to consider the differences
         between the two houses; and that the House adopted the conference
         committee report on H.B. No. 869 on May 29, 1999, by a non-record
         vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House
               I certify that H.B. No. 869 was passed by the Senate, with
         amendments, on May 6, 1999, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays
         0; at the request of the House, the Senate appointed a conference
         committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and
         that the Senate adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No.
         869 on May 30, 1999, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Secretary of the Senate
         APPROVED:  _____________________
                            Date
                    _____________________
                          Governor