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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the composition of the board of directors of the State |
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Bar of Texas. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 81.020, Government Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (b) and (d) and adding Subsection (e) to read |
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as follows: |
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(b) The board is composed of: |
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(1) the officers of the state bar; |
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(2) the president, president-elect, and immediate |
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past president of the Texas Young Lawyers Association; |
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(3) not more than 30 members of the state bar elected |
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by the membership from their district as determined by the board; |
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(4) six persons appointed by the supreme court and |
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confirmed by the senate who are not attorneys and who do not have, |
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other than as consumers, a financial interest in the practice of |
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law; and |
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(5) four outreach [minority member] directors |
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appointed by the president as provided by Subsections [Subsection] |
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(d) and (e). |
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(d) The president of the state bar appoints the outreach |
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[minority member] directors, subject to confirmation by the board |
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of directors. In making appointments under this subsection, the |
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president shall [attempt to] appoint directors who demonstrate the |
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sensitivity and knowledge gained from experiences in the legal |
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profession and community necessary to ensure the board represents |
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the interests of attorneys from the varied backgrounds that compose |
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the membership of the state bar, including members of historically |
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underrepresented [members of the different minority] groups |
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[listed in Section 81.002(7)]. |
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(e) Outreach [Minority member] directors serve three-year |
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terms. To be eligible for appointment as an outreach [a minority
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member] director, at the time of appointment a person may [must:
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[(1) be a minority member of the bar;
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[(2)] not be serving as: |
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(1) an elected director [at the time of appointment]; |
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or |
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(2) an outreach [and
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[(3) not be serving as a minority member] director [at
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the time of appointment]. |
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SECTION 2. Section 81.002(7), Government Code, is repealed. |
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SECTION 3. Notwithstanding Section 81.020, Government |
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Code, as amended by this Act, a minority member serving on the board |
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of directors of the State Bar of Texas on the effective date of this |
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Act continues to serve the term to which the director was appointed. |
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On expiration of the director's term, the president of the State Bar |
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of Texas shall appoint an outreach director as required by Section |
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81.020, Government Code, as amended by this Act. |
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SECTION 4. 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, 2017. |
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* * * * * |