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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of a limit on the number of terms a |
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judge or justice may serve on a court in this state. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 22, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 22.021 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 22.021. JUDICIAL TERM LIMITS. (a) The supreme court |
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by rule, in consultation with the court of criminal appeals, shall |
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establish a limit on the number of terms a judge or justice may be |
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elected to serve as the judge or justice of a court established |
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under the Texas Constitution, under state statutory law, or by |
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municipal ordinance. |
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(b) The term limits established in the rules adopted under |
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Subsection (a) may not allow a judge or justice to serve as a judge |
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or justice of any one court for more than 18 years. |
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(c) The limit on the number of terms a judge or justice may |
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serve as the judge or justice of a court as provided by Subsection |
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(a) applies only to service on that court. A judge or justice may |
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serve on more than one court for a number of terms that exceeds the |
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limit, provided the number of terms on any one court does not exceed |
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the limit established for service as a judge or justice on that |
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court. |
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(c-1) A term that begins before January 1, 2019, is not |
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counted in determining whether a judge or justice is eligible to |
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serve on a court under Section 32, Article V, Texas Constitution. |
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This subsection expires February 1, 2039. |
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(c-2) The supreme court shall establish the term limits as |
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required by Subsection (a) not later than December 1, 2018. This |
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subsection expires December 1, 2019. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect January 1, 2018, but only |
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if the constitutional amendment proposed by the 85th Legislature, |
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Regular Session, 2017, limiting to two the number of terms for which |
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a person may be elected or appointed to hold certain state offices |
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and requiring the legislature to establish limits on the number of |
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terms judges and justices may serve on courts in this state is |
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approved by the voters. If that amendment is not approved by the |
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voters, this Act has no effect. |