Bill > HB4278

This bill modifies the Texas Government Code to expand the pool of retired and former judges who can be assigned as visiting judges. Currently, retired or former judges must have served at least 96 months as an active judge in specific court types to be eligible for assignment. The bill allows presiding judges of administrative regions to consider service as a constitutional county court judge or justice of the peace toward this 96-month requirement if they cannot find enough eligible judges to handle the region's accumulated court business. Additionally, the bill adds retired or former constitutional county court judges and justices of the peace to the list of judges who can be assigned as visiting judges, alongside existing categories like district and statutory county court judges. These visiting judges must meet certain eligibility criteria, such as having substantial experience, never having been removed from office, and certifying they have not been publicly reprimanded by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. The changes aim to provide more flexibility in judicial assignments and help administrative regions manage their court workloads. The bill is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

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https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB4278