88S30300 AMF-D
 
  By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 37
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the assignment of certain retired and former justices
  and judges.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 74.003(b), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (b)  The chief justice of the supreme court may assign a
  qualified former or retired justice or judge of the supreme court,
  of the court of criminal appeals, or of a court of appeals to a court
  of appeals for active service regardless of whether a vacancy
  exists in the court to which the justice or judge is assigned. To be
  eligible for assignment under this subsection, a former or retired
  justice or judge must:
               (1)  have served as an active justice or judge for at
  least 72 [96] months in a district, statutory probate, statutory
  county, or appellate court, with at least 48 of those months in an
  appellate court;
               (2)  not have been removed from office;
               (3)  certify under oath to the chief justice of the
  supreme court, on a form prescribed by the chief justice, that:
                     (A)  the justice or judge has never been publicly
  reprimanded or censured by the State Commission on Judicial
  Conduct; and
                     (B)  the justice or judge:
                           (i)  did not resign or retire from office
  after the State Commission on Judicial Conduct notified the justice
  or judge of the commencement of a full investigation into an
  allegation or appearance of misconduct or disability of the justice
  or judge as provided in Section 33.022 and before the final
  disposition of that investigation; or
                           (ii)  if the justice or judge did resign from
  office under circumstances described by Subparagraph (i), the
  justice or judge was not publicly reprimanded or censured as a
  result of the investigation;
               (4)  annually demonstrate that the justice or judge has
  completed in the past state fiscal year the educational
  requirements for active appellate court justices or judges; [and]
               (5)  certify to the chief justice of the supreme court a
  willingness not to appear and plead as an attorney in any court of
  appeals in this state or district, statutory probate, or statutory
  county court in a county under the jurisdiction of the appellate
  court to which the justice or judge is assigned for a period of two
  years; and
               (6)  certify to the chief justice a willingness not to
  hear any matter involving a party who is a current or former client
  of the justice or judge for the duration of the assignment.
         SECTION 2.  Section 74.041(6), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
               (6)  "Retired judge" means:
                     (A)  a retiree; or
                     (B)  a person who served as an active judge for at
  least 72 [96] months in a statutory probate or statutory county
  court and has retired under the Texas County and District
  Retirement System.
         SECTION 3.  Section 74.055(c), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (c)  To be eligible to be named on the list, a retired or
  former judge must:
               (1)  have served as an active judge for at least 72 [96]
  months in a district, statutory probate, statutory county, or
  appellate court;
               (2)  have developed substantial experience in the
  judge's area of specialty;
               (3)  not have been removed from office;
               (4)  certify under oath to the presiding judge, on a
  form prescribed by the state board of regional judges, that:
                     (A)  the judge has never been publicly reprimanded
  or censured by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct; and
                     (B)  the judge:
                           (i)  did not resign or retire from office
  after the State Commission on Judicial Conduct notified the judge
  of the commencement of a full investigation into an allegation or
  appearance of misconduct or disability of the judge as provided in
  Section 33.022 and before the final disposition of that
  investigation; or
                           (ii)  if the judge did resign from office
  under circumstances described by Subparagraph (i), was not publicly
  reprimanded or censured as a result of the investigation;
               (5)  annually demonstrate that the judge has completed
  in the past state fiscal year the educational requirements for
  active district, statutory probate, and statutory county court
  judges; [and]
               (6)  certify to the presiding judge a willingness not
  to appear and plead as an attorney in any  court in the
  administrative judicial region in which the judge is assigned [this
  state] for a period of two years; and
               (7)  certify to the presiding judge a willingness not
  to hear any matter involving a party who is a current or former
  client of the judge for the duration of the assignment.
         SECTION 4.  Sections 74.003(b), 74.041(6), and 74.055(c),
  Government Code, as amended by this Act, apply only to the
  assignment of a justice or judge on or after the effective date of
  this Act. The assignment of a justice or judge before the effective
  date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date of the
  assignment, and the former law is continued in effect for that
  purpose.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect on the 91st day after the
  last day of the legislative session.