84R10942 YDB-D
By: Raymond H.B. No. 4009
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the appointment of associate judges for child
protection cases.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. The heading to Section 201.201, Family Code, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 201.201. APPOINTMENT OF ASSOCIATE JUDGE [AUTHORITY OF
PRESIDING JUDGE].
SECTION 2. Sections 201.201(a) and (b), Family Code, are
amended to read as follows:
(a) The presiding judge of each administrative judicial
region, after conferring with the judges of courts in the region
having family law jurisdiction and a child protection caseload,
shall determine which courts require the appointment of a full-time
or part-time associate judge to complete cases under Subtitle E
within the times specified under that subtitle.
(b) On receiving from the judges of courts in the region
having family law jurisdiction and a child protection caseload a
recommendation to appoint an associate judge for the region,
the [The] presiding judge shall appoint an associate judge to serve
the courts in the region in which at least two-thirds of the child
protection cases for the region are filed [may limit the
appointment to a specified period and may terminate an appointment
at any time]. The judges of the district courts in the region shall
recommend to the presiding judge the length of the associate
judge's appointment and the procedures for appointing, evaluating,
and terminating the associate judge. The district court judges
every two years shall submit to the presiding judge the associate
judge's evaluation results for those years and recommendations for
reappointment or termination of the associate judge.
SECTION 3. Section 201.2061, Family Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 201.2061. REPORT ON [SUPERVISION OF] ASSOCIATE
JUDGES. The office of court administration shall annually submit
to the presiding judges a report on the associate judges appointed
under this subchapter that includes the following [assist the
presiding judges in]:
(1) information on [monitoring] the associate judges'
compliance with any applicable job performance standards, uniform
practices adopted by the presiding judges, and federal and state
laws and policies, including information made available to the
office by the presiding judges;
(2) [addressing] the training [needs] and resource
requirements for [of] the associate judges; and
(3) the process for [conducting annual performance
evaluations for the associate judges and other personnel appointed
under this subchapter based on written personnel performance
standards adopted by the presiding judges; and
[(4)] receiving, investigating, and resolving
complaints about particular associate judges or the associate judge
program under this subchapter based on a uniform process adopted by
the presiding judges.
SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act apply to the
appointment of an associate judge under Subchapter C, Chapter 201,
Family Code, on or after the effective date of this Act.
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.