HBA-GUM S.B. 1187 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1187 By: Armbrister Judicial Affairs 5/4/1999 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The 69th Texas Legislature created the Judicial and Court Personnel Training Fund (JCPTF) to provide funds for the continuing education of all judges at all levels of the Texas judiciary, clerks, and court personnel working with those judges. In 1991, the legislature included prosecutors, their staffs, and criminal defense attorneys who represent indigent defendants, as groups eligible to receive funding for their training from JCPTF. S.B. 1187 includes certain associate judges, masters, referees, and magistrates among the groups eligible for JCPTF. Additionally, this bill requires a person to pay $2, rather than $1, as a court cost on conviction of any criminal offense, and provides that the court of criminal appeals may use one-third of appropriated funds for a fiscal year for the continuing legal education of certain full-time associate judges, masters, magistrates, and referees. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking authority previously delegated to the court of criminal appeals is modified in SECTION 1 (Section 22.110, Government Code) of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 22.110, Government Code, by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (e), as follows: (b) Includes certain specified associate judges, masters, referees, and magistrates among the persons required to complete certain certified training within their first four years of service. Provides that the rules must require each judge and judicial officer to complete additional training in subsequent terms or four years of service. Makes conforming changes. (e) Requires the court of criminal appeals or the court's designee to report the name of a judge or judicial officer who does not comply with the training requirements to the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. SECTION 2. Amends Section 56.001(b), Government Code, to require a person to pay $2, rather than $1, as a court cost on conviction of any criminal offense. SECTION 3. Amends Section 56.003(b), Government Code, to include among the person for which certain full-time associate judges, masters, magistrates, and referees the court of criminal appeals may use one-third of appropriated funds for a fiscal year for continuing legal education. SECTION 4. Effective date: August 31, 1999. Sets forth training requirements for judges and judicial officers, according to when the judge or judicial officer took office. SECTION 5. Emergency clause.