By: Noble (Senate Sponsor - Paxton) H.B. No. 3081

(In the Senate - Received from the House May 8, 2019; May 10, 2019, read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs; May 19, 2019, reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 19, 2019, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 3081 By: Hall

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a person qualified to serve as a temporary justice of the peace.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Sections 27.055(c) and (e), Government Code, are amended to read as follows:

(c) In this section [Subsections (b) and (f)], "qualified person" means a person who has served as a justice of the peace, county judge, or the judge of a county court at law for not less than four [4 1/2] years and who has not been convicted of a criminal offense that involves moral turpitude.

(e) The county judge may appoint any qualified voter under Section 11.002, Election Code, who has experience and knowledge relevant to judicial or justice court processes and procedures and is approved by the county judge and a justice of the peace in the county, to serve as a temporary justice of the peace if the judge cannot find a qualified person who agrees to serve under this section [Subsection (b) or (f)].

SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only to a temporary justice of the peace appointed on or after the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.

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