HBA-RBT H.B. 1839 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1839 By: Smith Judicial Affairs 3/18/1999 Committee Report (Amended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The 75th Texas Legislature granted authority to the judge of each district court in Tarrant County that gives preference to criminal cases to appoint two persons to serve as bailiffs. There are eight felony courts that regularly handle mostly felony cases in Tarrant County. Four of the eight courts were unaffected by the legislation because, although they are criminal district courts, they are not courts that are statutorily required to give preference to criminal cases. H.B. 1839 provides that each criminal district court will have the same number of bailiffs as courts that give preference to criminal cases. 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 53.001(e), Government Code, to require the county sheriff to appoint one bailiff for each criminal district court in Tarrant County. SECTION 2. Amends Section 53.002(g), Government Code, to authorize the judge of each criminal district court in Tarrant County to appoint two persons to serve as bailiffs. Authorizes the board of district judges of the courts in Tarrant County that give preference to criminal cases and the criminal district courts in Tarrant County to appoint one bailiff for each grand jury. Makes nonsubstantive changes. SECTION 3. Amends Section 53.003(b), Government Code, to make conforming changes. SECTION 4. Amends Section 53.004(b), Government Code, to make conforming changes. SECTION 5. Amends Section 53.006(c), Government Code, to make conforming changes. SECTION 6. Amends Section 53.007(c), Government Code, to make conforming changes. SECTION 7. Amends Section 53.008, Government Code, to make conforming changes. SECTION 8. Amends Section 53.009(f), Government Code, to make conforming changes. SECTION 9. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 10. Emergency clause. EXPLANATION OF AMENDMENTS Committee Amendment #1 SECTION 2. Amends Section 53.002(g), Government Code, to prohibit the number of grand jury bailiffs from exceeding two.