AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Under current law, an associate judge is not authorized to hear and render orders on name change suits under Chapter 45 of the Family Code.
S.B. 812 authorizes associate judges to hear and render judgments on such name change suits. It would allow these generally uncontroversial suits to be heard faster in counties in which there is an associate judge and help relieve crowded dockets facing district judges.
As proposed, S.B. 812 amends current law relating to the appointment of an associate judge in a family law proceeding involving a name change.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Sections 201.001(a) and (c), Family Code, as follows:
(a) Authorizes a judge of a court having jurisdiction of a suit under this title or Title 1 (the Marriage Relationship), Chapter 45 (Change of Name), or Title 4 (Protective Orders and Family Violence), to appoint a full-time or part-time associate judge to perform the duties authorized by this chapter if the commissioners court of a county in which the court has jurisdiction authorizes the employment of an associate judge.
(c) Makes conforming changes.
SECTION 2. Amends Sections 201.005(a) and (d), Family Code, to make conforming changes.
SECTION 3. Amends Section 201.018(a), Family Code, to add a judge of a court having jurisdiction of a suit under Chapter 45 to a list of judges that have jurisdiction under this section.
SECTION 4. Provides that the change in law made by this Act applies only to a suit filed under Chapter 45, Family Code, on or after the effective date of this Act. Makes application of this Act prospective.
SECTION 5. Effective date: September 1, 2015.