By: West  S.B. No. 1242
         (In the Senate - Filed March 7, 2011; March 16, 2011, read
  first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence;
  March 30, 2011, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 7,
  Nays 0; March 30, 2011, sent to printer.)
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the judicial immunity and powers of certain
  magistrates.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subsection (b), Section 54.1176, Government
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         (b)  The judge shall adopt, modify, or reject the
  magistrate's recommendations not later than the third working day
  after the date the judge receives the recommendations. If the judge
  does not take action in the time provided by this subsection, the
  recommendations of the magistrate are adopted by the judge.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter W, Chapter 54, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 54.1177 to read as follows:
         Sec. 54.1177.  JUDICIAL IMMUNITY. A magistrate appointed
  under this subchapter has the same judicial immunity as a district
  judge.
         SECTION 3.  The changes in law made by this Act to Subsection
  (b), Section 54.1176, Government Code, apply to a cause of action
  referred to a magistrate on or after the effective date of this Act.
  A cause of action referred to a magistrate before the effective date
  of this Act is governed by the law in effect immediately before that
  date, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.
 
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