79R5570 KKA-D

By:  Eiland                                                       H.B. No. 1895



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the authority of an associate judge appointed by a court 
with family law jurisdiction.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Article 2.09, Code of Criminal Procedure, is 
amended to read as follows:
	Art. 2.09.  WHO ARE MAGISTRATES.  Each of the following 
officers is a magistrate within the meaning of this Code:  The 
justices of the Supreme Court, the judges of the Court of Criminal 
Appeals, the justices of the Courts of Appeals, the judges of the 
District Court, the magistrates appointed by the judges of the 
district courts of Bexar County, Dallas County, or Tarrant County 
that give preference to criminal cases, the criminal law hearing 
officers for Harris County appointed under Subchapter L, Chapter 
54, Government Code, the magistrates appointed by the judges of the 
district courts of Lubbock County or Webb County, the magistrates 
appointed by the judges of the criminal district courts of Dallas 
County or Tarrant County, the masters appointed by the judges of the 
district courts and the county courts at law that give preference to 
criminal cases in Jefferson County, the magistrates appointed by 
the judges of the district courts and the statutory county courts of 
Williamson County, the magistrates appointed by the judges of the 
district courts and statutory county courts that give preference to 
criminal cases in Travis County, the county judges, the judges of 
the county courts at law, judges of the county criminal courts, the 
judges of statutory probate courts, the associate judges appointed 
by the judges of the statutory probate courts under Subchapter G, 
Chapter 54, Government Code, the associate judges appointed under 
Chapter 201, Family Code, by judges of courts with family law 
jurisdiction, the justices of the peace, the mayors and recorders 
and the judges of the municipal courts of incorporated cities or 
towns.
	SECTION 2.  Subchapter A, Chapter 201, Family Code, is 
amended by adding Section 201.0071 to read as follows:
	Sec. 201.0071.  MAGISTRATE.  An associate judge appointed 
under this subchapter is a magistrate.
	SECTION 3.  Subchapter B, Chapter 201, Family Code, is 
amended by adding Section 201.1043 to read as follows:
	Sec. 201.1043.  MAGISTRATE.  An associate judge appointed 
under this subchapter is a magistrate.
	SECTION 4.  Subchapter C, Chapter 201, Family Code, is 
amended by adding Section 201.2043 to read as follows:
	Sec. 201.2043.  MAGISTRATE.  An associate judge appointed 
under this subchapter is a magistrate.
	SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.