| 1 | 1 | | 89R3054 TSS-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Flores S.B. No. 248 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to the referral of certain criminal proceedings in the |
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| 10 | 10 | | Texas-Mexico border region to an associate judge and reimbursement |
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| 11 | 11 | | requests for all or part of an associate judge's or interpreter's |
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| 12 | 12 | | salary. |
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| 13 | 13 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 14 | 14 | | SECTION 1. Section 54A.004, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 15 | 15 | | adding Subsection (d) to read as follows: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (d) The commissioners court of a county located in the |
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| 17 | 17 | | Texas-Mexico border region, as defined by Section 2056.002, may |
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| 18 | 18 | | submit a request to the Texas Judicial Council for reimbursement of |
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| 19 | 19 | | all or part of the salary paid to an associate judge to whom judges |
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| 20 | 20 | | in the county give preference when referring cases under Section |
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| 21 | 21 | | 54A.006(a-1) to be paid from money appropriated to the council for |
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| 22 | 22 | | border security purposes. The council may adopt rules to implement |
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| 23 | 23 | | this subsection. |
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| 24 | 24 | | SECTION 2. Section 54A.006, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 25 | 25 | | adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (a-1) A judge whose jurisdiction includes a county located |
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| 27 | 27 | | in the Texas-Mexico border region, as defined by Section 2056.002, |
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| 28 | 28 | | may refer to an associate judge who serves a county located in the |
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| 29 | 29 | | region any matter arising out of a criminal case involving alleged |
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| 30 | 30 | | conduct constituting a criminal trespass offense under Section |
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| 31 | 31 | | 30.05, Penal Code, by a person not lawfully present in the United |
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| 32 | 32 | | States. |
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| 33 | 33 | | SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 57, Government Code, is |
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| 34 | 34 | | amended by adding Section 57.003 to read as follows: |
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| 35 | 35 | | Sec. 57.003. COMPENSATION. The commissioners court of a |
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| 36 | 36 | | county located in the Texas-Mexico border region, as defined by |
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| 37 | 37 | | Section 2056.002, may submit a request to the Texas Judicial |
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| 38 | 38 | | Council for reimbursement of all or part of the salary paid to an |
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| 39 | 39 | | interpreter for services rendered in a case referred under Section |
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| 40 | 40 | | 54A.006(a-1) to be paid from money appropriated to the council for |
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| 41 | 41 | | border security purposes. The council may adopt rules to implement |
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| 42 | 42 | | this section. |
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| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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