BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 598
86R1826 YDB-D	By: Price; Moody (Zaffirini)
	State Affairs
	4/23/2019
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Current law authorizes the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA) to use up to one-third of appropriated funds to educate judges and magistrates. It is unclear, however, whether those funds could be used for the education of full-time associate judges and part-time masters, magistrates, referees, and associate judges.

Accordingly, H.B. 598 would include full-time associate judges and part-time masters, magistrates, referees, and associate judges on the list of judges and magistrates for whose continuing legal education CCA could use appropriated funds. This bill would allow part-time magistrates and full-time and part-time associate judges the same opportunities to receive training as other judges and magistrates.

H.B. 598 amends current law relating to the use of funds appropriated for the continuing legal education of certain appointed masters, magistrates, referees, and associate judges.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 56.003(b), Government Code, as follows:

(b) Requires no more than one-third of the funds appropriated for any fiscal year to be used for the continuing legal education of judges of appellate courts, district courts, county courts at law, county courts performing judicial functions, full-time associate judges and masters appointed pursuant to Chapter 201 (Associate Judge), Family Code, and full-time and part-time masters, rather than full‑time masters, magistrates, referees, and associate judges appointed pursuant to Chapter 54 (Masters; Magistrates; Referees; Associate Judges) or 54A (Associate Judges), rather than pursuant to Chapter 54, as required by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals under Section 74.025 (Education Programs) and of their court personnel.

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2019. �