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.