80R7268 KLA-D
 
  By: Dutton H.B. No. 762
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the recusal of certain persons from a grievance
proceeding conducted by a panel of a district grievance committee
of the State Bar of Texas.
       BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
       SECTION 1.  Section 81.072, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subsections (p) and (q) to read as follows:
       (p)  Notwithstanding any other law, a member of a panel of a
district grievance committee of the state bar who at any time has
had a direct interest in conduct at issue in a grievance matter to
which the panel was assigned, or who at any time before the hearing
on a grievance matter to which the panel was assigned has had
interactions with the complainant or the respondent that would lead
a reasonable person to believe the member has a conflict of interest
with respect to the matter, shall recuse himself or herself from
participating in the matter, including from:
             (1)  participating in a hearing on the matter,
including a closed hearing on a complaint placed on a dismissal
docket; and
             (2)  voting on the disposition of the matter.
       (q)  If a member of a panel of a district grievance committee
of the state bar recuses himself or herself as required by
Subsection (p), another member of the district grievance committee
may be substituted for that member, subject to Subsection (n).
       SECTION 2.  Sections 81.072(p) and (q), Government Code, as
added by this Act, apply only to a grievance on which a hearing is
conducted on or after the effective date of this Act, regardless of
the date on which the grievance was filed. A grievance on which a
hearing is conducted before the effective date of this Act is
governed by the law in effect on the date the hearing was conducted,
and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
       SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2007.