Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4009 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R10942 YDB-D
2	2	By: Raymond H.B. No. 4009
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the appointment of associate judges for child
8	8	protection cases.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. The heading to Section 201.201, Family Code, is
11	11	amended to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 201.201. APPOINTMENT OF ASSOCIATE JUDGE [AUTHORITY OF
13	13	PRESIDING JUDGE].
14	14	SECTION 2. Sections 201.201(a) and (b), Family Code, are
15	15	amended to read as follows:
16	16	(a) The presiding judge of each administrative judicial
17	17	region, after conferring with the judges of courts in the region
18	18	having family law jurisdiction and a child protection caseload,
19	19	shall determine which courts require the appointment of a full-time
20	20	or part-time associate judge to complete cases under Subtitle E
21	21	within the times specified under that subtitle.
22	22	(b) On receiving from the judges of courts in the region
23	23	having family law jurisdiction and a child protection caseload a
24	24	recommendation to appoint an associate judge for the region,
25	25	the [The] presiding judge shall appoint an associate judge to serve
26	26	the courts in the region in which at least two-thirds of the child
27	27	protection cases for the region are filed [may limit the
28	28	appointment to a specified period and may terminate an appointment
29	29	at any time]. The judges of the district courts in the region shall
30	30	recommend to the presiding judge the length of the associate
31	31	judge's appointment and the procedures for appointing, evaluating,
32	32	and terminating the associate judge. The district court judges
33	33	every two years shall submit to the presiding judge the associate
34	34	judge's evaluation results for those years and recommendations for
35	35	reappointment or termination of the associate judge.
36	36	SECTION 3. Section 201.2061, Family Code, is amended to
37	37	read as follows:
38	38	Sec. 201.2061. REPORT ON [SUPERVISION OF] ASSOCIATE
39	39	JUDGES. The office of court administration shall annually submit
40	40	to the presiding judges a report on the associate judges appointed
41	41	under this subchapter that includes the following [assist the
42	42	presiding judges in]:
43	43	(1) information on [monitoring] the associate judges'
44	44	compliance with any applicable job performance standards, uniform
45	45	practices adopted by the presiding judges, and federal and state
46	46	laws and policies, including information made available to the
47	47	office by the presiding judges;
48	48	(2) [addressing] the training [needs] and resource
49	49	requirements for [of] the associate judges; and
50	50	(3) the process for [conducting annual performance
51	51	evaluations for the associate judges and other personnel appointed
52	52	under this subchapter based on written personnel performance
53	53	standards adopted by the presiding judges; and
54	54	[(4)] receiving, investigating, and resolving
55	55	complaints about particular associate judges or the associate judge
56	56	program under this subchapter based on a uniform process adopted by
57	57	the presiding judges.
58	58	SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act apply to the
59	59	appointment of an associate judge under Subchapter C, Chapter 201,
60	60	Family Code, on or after the effective date of this Act.
61	61	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.