BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 1441
By: Watson
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
The Texas Court Reporters Certification Board (CRCB) members' six-year terms are not staggered by statute. The terms are staggered unevenly and five out of 13 members' terms expired on December 31, 2008.
S.B. 1441 provides that members of CRCB serve staggered six-year terms with two or three members' terms expiring December 31 of each year.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 52.011(f), Government Code, to provide that the Texas Court Reporters Certification Board (CRCB) members serve staggered six-year terms of office, with the terms of two or three members expiring on December 31 of each year.
SECTION 2. (a) Requires the Supreme Court of Texas, as soon as possible after the effective date of this Act, to comply with Subsection (f), Section 52.011, Government Code, as amended by this Act, to prescribe a method for determining the dates on which the terms of the members of CRCB serving, and of the offices that are vacant on the effective date of this Act, expire. Provides that by using the method prescribed by the Supreme Court of Texas, a combination of two members serving, or offices vacant, on the effective date of this Act are required to be selected for a term expiration date of December 31, 2010; a combination of two members serving, or offices vacant, on the effective date of this Act are required to be selected for a term expiration date of December 31, 2011; a combination of two members serving, or offices vacant, on the effective date of this Act are required to be selected for a term expiration date of December 31, 2012; a combination of two members serving, or offices vacant, on the effective date of this Act are required to be selected for a term expiration date of December 31, 2013; a combination of two members serving, or offices vacant, on the effective date of this Act are required to be selected for a term expiration date of December 31, 2014; and a combination of three members serving, or offices vacant, on the effective date of this Act are required to be selected for a term expiration date of December 31, 2015.
(b) Authorizes the method prescribed by the Supreme Court of Texas as required by Subsection (a) of this section to be a drawing of lots.
(c) Provides that, for the purposes of Section 52.011(g), Government Code, the term being served by a member of CRCB on the effective date of this Act that expires in accordance with Subsection (a) of this section is considered a single term.
SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2009.