| TO: | Honorable Will Hartnett, Chair, House Committee on Judiciary |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HJR89 by Gattis (Proposing a constitutional amendment relating to requiring board certification for appellate judges and justices and to increasing the age and experience requirements and requiring board certification for district judges.), As Introduced |
The cost to the state for publication of the resolution is $77,468.
The bill would amend the constitution relating to requiring board certification for appellate judges and justices and to increasing the age and experience requirements and requiring board certification for district judges. The bill would require that a person serving on the Supreme Court or one of the 14 Courts of Appeals be board certified in at least one practice area and that a person serving on the Court of Criminal Appeals be board certified in criminal law. The bill would require that a person serving as a district judge be at least 35 years of age, have practiced as a lawyer or served as a judge for a total of at least seven years, and be board certified in at least one practice area. The bill would exempt persons serving as judges as of November 6, 2007 from the new requirements. To the extent the bill would amend requirements relating to qualifications of judicial officers, no significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. The proposed constitutional amendment would be submitted to the voters on November 6, 2007.
| Source Agencies: | 212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council
|
| LBB Staff: | JOB, MN, ZS, TB
|