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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the appointment of associate judges for child |
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protection cases. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. The heading to Section 201.201, Family Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 201.201. APPOINTMENT OF ASSOCIATE JUDGE [AUTHORITY OF
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PRESIDING JUDGE]. |
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SECTION 2. Sections 201.201(a) and (b), Family Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The presiding judge of each administrative judicial |
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region, after conferring with the judges of courts in the region |
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having family law jurisdiction and a child protection caseload, |
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shall determine which courts require the appointment of a full-time |
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or part-time associate judge to complete cases under Subtitle E |
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within the times specified under that subtitle. |
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(b) On receiving from the judges of courts in the region |
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having family law jurisdiction and a child protection caseload a |
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recommendation to appoint an associate judge for the region, |
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the [The] presiding judge shall appoint an associate judge to serve |
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the courts in the region in which at least two-thirds of the child |
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protection cases for the region are filed [may limit the
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appointment to a specified period and may terminate an appointment
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at any time]. The judges of the district courts in the region shall |
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recommend to the presiding judge the length of the associate |
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judge's appointment and the procedures for appointing, evaluating, |
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and terminating the associate judge. The district court judges |
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every two years shall submit to the presiding judge the associate |
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judge's evaluation results for those years and recommendations for |
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reappointment or termination of the associate judge. |
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SECTION 3. Section 201.2061, Family Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 201.2061. REPORT ON [SUPERVISION OF] ASSOCIATE |
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JUDGES. The office of court administration shall annually submit |
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to the presiding judges a report on the associate judges appointed |
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under this subchapter that includes the following [assist the
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presiding judges in]: |
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(1) information on [monitoring] the associate judges' |
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compliance with any applicable job performance standards, uniform |
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practices adopted by the presiding judges, and federal and state |
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laws and policies, including information made available to the |
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office by the presiding judges; |
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(2) [addressing] the training [needs] and resource |
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requirements for [of] the associate judges; and |
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(3) the process for [conducting annual performance
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evaluations for the associate judges and other personnel appointed
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under this subchapter based on written personnel performance
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standards adopted by the presiding judges; and
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[(4)] receiving, investigating, and resolving |
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complaints about particular associate judges or the associate judge |
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program under this subchapter based on a uniform process adopted by |
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the presiding judges. |
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SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act apply to the |
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appointment of an associate judge under Subchapter C, Chapter 201, |
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Family Code, on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |