| 1 | 1 | | By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 1953 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to a centers of excellence program developed by the Texas |
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| 7 | 7 | | Judicial Council and a merit payment for certain justices and |
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| 8 | 8 | | judges. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 71, Government Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 71.040 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 71.040. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE. (a) The council by |
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| 13 | 13 | | rule shall develop a centers of excellence program to identify, |
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| 14 | 14 | | support, and recognize justices and judges who excel in serving |
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| 15 | 15 | | their communities and in representing the judiciary. In awarding a |
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| 16 | 16 | | center of excellence recognition to a justice or judge, the council |
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| 17 | 17 | | must consider: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) a justice's or judge's governance, access, |
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| 19 | 19 | | fairness, case flow management, and court operations; and |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) the compliance of the justice's or judge's court |
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| 21 | 21 | | with statutory or procedural requirements for judicial reporting, |
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| 22 | 22 | | court security, fee collection, indigent defense, and guardianship |
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| 23 | 23 | | fraud and abuse prevention. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (b) A justice or judge of an appellate court, district |
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| 25 | 25 | | court, statutory county court, or county court is eligible for |
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| 26 | 26 | | recognition as a center of excellence and may apply for recognition |
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| 27 | 27 | | on a form and in the manner prescribed by the council. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (c) In addition to the annual salary paid to a justice or |
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| 29 | 29 | | judge under Section 659.012, or by the commissioners court of a |
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| 30 | 30 | | county or the governing body of a municipality under any other law, |
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| 31 | 31 | | a justice or judge recognized as a center for excellence under the |
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| 32 | 32 | | centers of excellence program is entitled to receive in each state |
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| 33 | 33 | | fiscal year in which the justice or judge is recognized one merit |
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| 34 | 34 | | payment in an amount equal to five percent of the justice's or |
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| 35 | 35 | | judge's annual base salary for that year. |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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| 37 | 37 | | a justice or judge recognized under a centers of excellence program |
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| 38 | 38 | | developed by the Texas Judicial Council on or after the effective |
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| 39 | 39 | | date of this Act. |
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| 40 | 40 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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