By Thompson H.B. No. 1715 77R6869 JMC-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the authority of certain county judges to engage in the 1-3 private practice of law. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 26, Government Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Section 26.009 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 26.009. PRIVATE PRACTICE BY COUNTY JUDGE; LIMITATION. 1-8 A county judge who is licensed to practice law in this state may 1-9 engage in the private practice of law, except that the judge may 1-10 not appear or plead as an attorney in the judge's court or in any 1-11 court in this state over which the judge's court exercises 1-12 appellate jurisdiction. 1-13 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 1-14 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 1-15 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this 1-16 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 1-17 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.