BILL ANALYSIS
By: Dutton
Juvenile Justice & Family Issues
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The use of associate judges in the family law area has expanded in order to help litigants more effectively resolve legal disputes. Moreover, due to the recent increase of orders that must be signed, there has been a long delay between the time an associate judge’s ruling is reduced to a written order versus the time it is signed.
House Bill 1179 would eliminate this delay in time, and allow associate judges to sign temporary orders themselves.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
Section 1. Amends Section 201.007(a) and (c), of the Family Code by allowing for an associate judge to render and sign a temporary order, and that it be constituted as an order of the referring court.
Section 2. The change in law made by this Act applies to a proceeding under Title 1, 4, or 5, Family Code, pending before a trial court on, or filed on or after, the effective date of this Act.
Section 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2005.