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.