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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the qualifications to serve as an associate judge or |
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visiting associate judge in certain family law proceedings. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 201.1021(a), Family Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) To be eligible for appointment under this subchapter, a |
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person must be[:
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[(1)] a citizen of the United States, [and] have |
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resided in this state [the administrative judicial region, or a
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county adjacent to the region, in which the court to which the
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person is appointed is located] for the two years preceding the date |
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of appointment, [;] and be: |
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(1) eligible for assignment under Section 74.054, |
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Government Code, because the person is named on the list of retired |
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and former judges maintained by the presiding judge of the |
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administrative region under Section 74.055, Government Code; or |
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(2) licensed to practice law in this state and have |
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been a practicing lawyer in this state, or a judge of a court in this |
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state who is not otherwise eligible under Subdivision (1), for the |
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four years preceding the date of appointment. |
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SECTION 2. Section 201.113(b), Family Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) A person is not eligible for appointment under this |
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section unless the person has served as a [child support] master or |
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associate judge under this chapter, a district judge, or a |
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statutory county court judge for at least two years before the date |
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of appointment. |
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SECTION 3. Section 201.2021(a), Family Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) To be eligible for appointment under this subchapter, a |
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person must be[:
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[(1)] a citizen of the United States, [and] have |
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resided in this state [the administrative judicial region, or a
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county adjacent to the region, in which the court to which the
|
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|
person is appointed is located] for the two years preceding the date |
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of appointment, [;] and be: |
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(1) eligible for assignment under Section 74.054, |
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Government Code, because the person is named on the list of retired |
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and former judges maintained by the presiding judge of the |
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administrative region under Section 74.055, Government Code; or |
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|
(2) licensed to practice law in this state and have |
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been a practicing lawyer in this state, or a judge of a court in this |
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state who is not otherwise eligible under Subdivision (1), for the |
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four years preceding the date of appointment. |
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SECTION 4. Section 201.208(c), Family Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(c) A person is not eligible for appointment under this |
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section unless the person has served as a master or [an] associate |
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judge under this chapter, a district judge, or a statutory county |
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court judge for at least two years before the date of appointment. |
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SECTION 5. The changes in law made by this Act to Sections |
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201.1021(a) and 201.2021(a), Family Code, apply only to the |
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appointment of an associate judge under Subchapter B or C, Chapter |
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201, Family Code, on or after the effective date of this Act. The |
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appointment of an associate judge before that date is governed by |
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the law in effect on the date the appointment was made, and the |
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former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 6. The changes in law made by this Act to Sections |
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201.113(b) and 201.208(c), Family Code, apply only to the |
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appointment of a visiting associate judge under Subchapter B or C, |
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Chapter 201, Family Code, on or after the effective date of this |
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Act. The appointment of a visiting associate judge before that date |
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is governed by the law in effect on the date the appointment was |
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made, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 7. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |