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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to court administration, including the election and term |
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of a local administrative district judge and an annual court |
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administration conference. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 74.091, Government Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsections (b-1) and (b-2) to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) In a county with two or more district courts the judges |
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of those courts shall elect a district judge as local |
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administrative district judge: |
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(1) for a term of [not more than] two years; or |
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(2) if the district judge's term ends before the second |
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anniversary of the date the district judge is elected as local |
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administrative district judge, for the remainder of the district |
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judge's term. |
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(b-1) The local administrative district judge may not be |
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elected on the basis of rotation or seniority. |
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(b-2) If a majority of the district court judges in a county |
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cannot agree on a judge to serve as the local administrative |
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district judge, one of the judges shall notify the regional |
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presiding judge, and the regional presiding judge shall cast the |
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deciding vote. A local administrative district judge elected under |
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this subsection serves for a term set by the regional presiding |
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judge of not more than two years. |
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SECTION 2. Chapter 74, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subchapter D-1 to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER D-1. COURT ADMINISTRATION CONFERENCE |
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Sec. 74.0981. COURT ADMINISTRATION CONFERENCE. The Office |
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of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System shall hold an |
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annual meeting to provide information to presiding judges of |
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administrative regions, local administrative judges, and court |
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administrators related to: |
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(1) court budgets and operational funding; |
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(2) court activity statistics and case-level |
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information on the amount and character of business transacted by |
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state trial courts; |
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(3) the duties of a local administrative judge; and |
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(4) other court administration matters. |
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Sec. 74.0982. REIMBURSEMENT. TheOfficeof Court |
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Administration of the Texas Judicial System may reimburse a |
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presiding judge of an administrative region, a local administrative |
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judge, or a court administrator, for the expense of attending the |
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meeting described by Section 74.0981 to the extent money is |
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appropriated to the office for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. Section 74.091, Government Code, as amended by |
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this Act, applies only to a local administrative district judge |
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elected on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect on the 91st day after the |
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last day of the legislative session. |