By: West S.B. No. 1242
(In the Senate - Filed March 7, 2011; March 16, 2011, read
first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence;
March 30, 2011, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 7,
Nays 0; March 30, 2011, sent to printer.)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the judicial immunity and powers of certain
magistrates.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subsection (b), Section 54.1176, Government
Code, is amended to read as follows:
(b) The judge shall adopt, modify, or reject the
magistrate's recommendations not later than the third working day
after the date the judge receives the recommendations. If the judge
does not take action in the time provided by this subsection, the
recommendations of the magistrate are adopted by the judge.
SECTION 2. Subchapter W, Chapter 54, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 54.1177 to read as follows:
Sec. 54.1177. JUDICIAL IMMUNITY. A magistrate appointed
under this subchapter has the same judicial immunity as a district
judge.
SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act to Subsection
(b), Section 54.1176, Government Code, apply to a cause of action
referred to a magistrate on or after the effective date of this Act.
A cause of action referred to a magistrate before the effective date
of this Act is governed by the law in effect immediately before that
date, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.
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