AN ACT
1-1 relating to judicial and court personnel training.
1-2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-3 SECTION 1. Section 22.110, Government Code, is amended by
1-4 amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (e) to read as
1-5 follows:
1-6 (b) The court of criminal appeals shall adopt the rules
1-7 necessary to accomplish the purposes of this section. The rules
1-8 must require each district judge, [and each] judge of a statutory
1-9 county court, associate judge appointed under Chapter 54 of this
1-10 code or Chapter 201, Family Code, master, referee, and magistrate
1-11 to complete at least eight hours of the training within the judge's
1-12 first term of office or the judicial officer's first four years of
1-13 service and provide a method for certification of completion of
1-14 that training. At least six hours of the training must be
1-15 dedicated to the training described by Subsections (d)(5), (6), and
1-16 (7). The rules must require each judge and judicial officer to
1-17 complete an additional three hours of training during each
1-18 additional term in office or four years of service. The rules
1-19 must exempt from the training requirement of this subsection each
1-20 judge or judicial officer who files an affidavit stating that the
1-21 judge or judicial officer does not hear any cases involving family
1-22 violence, sexual assault, or child abuse.
1-23 (e) The court of criminal appeals or the court's designee
1-24 shall report the name of a judge or judicial officer who does not
2-1 comply with the requirements of this section to the State
2-2 Commission on Judicial Conduct.
2-3 SECTION 2. Subsection (b), Section 56.001, Government Code,
2-4 is amended to read as follows:
2-5 (b) In addition to other court costs, a person shall pay $2
2-6 [$1] as a court cost on conviction of any criminal offense,
2-7 including cases in which probation or deferred adjudication is
2-8 granted or in which final disposition in the case is deferred. A
2-9 conviction that arises under Chapter 521, Transportation Code, or a
2-10 conviction under Subtitle C, Title 7, Transportation Code, is
2-11 included, except that a conviction arising under any law that
2-12 regulates pedestrians or the parking of motor vehicles is not
2-13 included.
2-14 SECTION 3. Subsection (b), Section 56.003, Government Code,
2-15 is amended to read as follows:
2-16 (b) No more than one-third of the funds appropriated for any
2-17 fiscal year shall be used for the continuing legal education of
2-18 judges of appellate courts, district courts, county courts at law,
2-19 [and] county courts performing judicial functions, full-time
2-20 associate judges appointed pursuant to Section 201.001, Family
2-21 Code, and full-time masters, magistrates, referees, and associate
2-22 judges appointed pursuant to Chapter 54 as required by the court of
2-23 criminal appeals under Section 74.025 and of their court personnel.
2-24 SECTION 4. (a) This Act takes effect August 31, 1999. Each
2-25 judge or judicial officer who is in office on August 31, 1999, must
2-26 complete the judicial training required by Section 22.110,
3-1 Government Code, as amended by this Act, notwithstanding the
3-2 requirement of that section that the training be completed within
3-3 the first term of office or first four years of service. The
3-4 training must be completed before the judge or judicial officer who
3-5 is in office on August 31, 1999, begins another term of office as a
3-6 judge or completes another year of service as a judicial officer.
3-7 (b) A judge or judicial officer who takes office on or after
3-8 September 1, 1999, and who has not otherwise satisfied the
3-9 requirements of Section 22.110, Government Code, as amended by this
3-10 Act, must complete the judicial training required by that section
3-11 within the judge's first term of office that begins on or after
3-12 that date or within the judicial officer's first four years of
3-13 service.
3-14 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the
3-15 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-16 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-17 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-18 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1187 passed the Senate on
April 27, 1999, by viva-voce vote.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1187 passed the House on
May 14, 1999, by a non-record vote.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
Approved:
_______________________________
Date
_______________________________
Governor