By Harris                                              S.B. No. 250
         77R1592 JMC-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the persons who are eligible for appointment as a
 1-3     temporary justice of the peace.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Sections 27.055(c) and (e), Government Code, are
 1-6     amended to read as follows:
 1-7           (c)  In Subsection (b), "qualified person" means a person
 1-8     who:
 1-9                 (1)  has served [as a justice of the peace] for not
1-10     less than 4 1/2 years as a:
1-11                       (A)  justice of the peace;
1-12                       (B)  master or magistrate for a district court;
1-13                       (C)  judge of a:
1-14                             (i)  municipal court;
1-15                             (ii)  constitutional county court;
1-16                             (iii)  statutory county court; or
1-17                             (iv)  district court; or
1-18                       (D)  justice of an appellate court; and
1-19                 (2)  [who] has not been convicted of a criminal offense
1-20     that involves moral turpitude.
1-21           (e)  The county judge may appoint any qualified voter under
1-22     Section 11.002, Election Code, to serve as a temporary justice of
1-23     the peace if the judge cannot find a qualified person [who agrees]
1-24     to serve under Subsection (b).
 2-1           SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001, and
 2-2     applies only to the appointment of a person under Section 27.055,
 2-3     Government Code, made on or after that date.  An appointment made
 2-4     before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in
 2-5     effect at the time the appointment is made, and that law is
 2-6     continued in effect for that purpose.