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          AN ACT
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        relating to a temporary justice of the peace. | 
      
      
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               BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
      
      
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               SECTION 1.  Section 27.055(b), Government Code, is amended  | 
      
      
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        to read as follows: | 
      
      
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               (b)  If a justice is temporarily unable to perform official  | 
      
      
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        duties because of absence, recusal, illness, injury, or other  | 
      
      
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        disability, the county judge, on the judge's own motion or at the  | 
      
      
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        request of the justice of the peace, may appoint a qualified person  | 
      
      
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        to serve as temporary justice for the duration of the absence of the  | 
      
      
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        justice of the peace from the bench [disability].  The  | 
      
      
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        commissioners court shall compensate the temporary justice by the  | 
      
      
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        day, week, or month in an amount equal to the compensation of the  | 
      
      
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        regular justice.  A temporary justice has all the rights and powers  | 
      
      
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        of the justice of the peace while serving in that capacity but may  | 
      
      
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        not make personnel decisions about, or significant changes in, the  | 
      
      
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        justice of the peace's office. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives  | 
      
      
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        a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as  | 
      
      
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        provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this  | 
      
      
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        Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this  | 
      
      
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        Act takes effect September 1, 2017. | 
      
      
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        ______________________________ | 
        ______________________________ | 
      
      
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           President of the Senate | 
        Speaker of the House      | 
      
      
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               I certify that H.B. No. 431 was passed by the House on May 8,  | 
      
      
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        2017, by the following vote:  Yeas 146, Nays 0, 1 present, not  | 
      
      
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        voting. | 
      
      
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        ______________________________ | 
      
      
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        Chief Clerk of the House    | 
      
      
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               I certify that H.B. No. 431 was passed by the Senate on May  | 
      
      
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        19, 2017, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0. | 
      
      
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        ______________________________ | 
      
      
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        Secretary of the Senate     | 
      
      
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        APPROVED:  _____________________ | 
      
      
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                           Date           | 
      
      
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                  _____________________ | 
      
      
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                         Governor        |