HBA-LCA H.B. 2589 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2589
By: Solis, Jim
Judicial Affairs
3/23/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current law allows retired or former district, constitutional county, and
statutory county judges to sit for other judges with the same jurisdiction.
H.B. 2589 extends the same provision to retired or former justices of the
peace, allowing them to serve as visiting judges.  Under this bill, the
visiting justice of the peace is not entitled to compensation, salary, or
expenses under Section 74.061, Government Code, which addresses
compensation for judges and justices. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 74.054, Government Code, by adding Subsection
(e), as follows: 

(e)  Provides that a presiding judge of an administrative region in which a
commissioners court sits may, at the request of the commissioners court,
assign a justice of the peace, or a former or retired justice of the peace,
to sit for another justice of the peace as a visiting judge. Provides that
the visiting judge is not entitled to compensation, salary, or expenses
under Section 74.061, Government Code (Compensation While Assigned). 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.