HBA-CBW H.B. 1376 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1376
By: Menendez
Juvenile Justice & Family Issues
2/19/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current law allows associate judges to appoint a visiting associate judge
to perform the duties of an associate judge who is temporarily absent,
disabled, injured, or ill. Currently, to be eligible for an appointment as
a visiting associate judge, a person must have served as an associate judge
for at least six years.  The six-year service requirement reduces the
number of visiting associate judges available for such purposes.  House
Bill 1376 reduces the number of years a person must have served as an
associate judge to be eligible for appointment as a visiting associate
judge. 

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. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1376 amends the Family Code to reduce from six to two the number
of years that a person must have served as an associate judge to be
eligible for appointment as a visiting associate judge, in certain family
law cases. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.