The bill, introduced by Senator Zaffirini, amends the Government Code to enhance court administration in Texas, specifically regarding the election and term of local administrative district judges. It establishes that in counties with multiple district courts, judges will elect a local administrative district judge for a term of up to two years, with the possibility of serving the remainder of a term if the elected judge's term ends before two years. Additionally, the bill prohibits the election of the local administrative district judge based on rotation or seniority. If the judges cannot agree on a candidate, the regional presiding judge will cast the deciding vote.

Furthermore, the bill introduces a new subchapter that mandates the Office of Court Administration to hold an annual court administration conference. This conference will provide essential information to presiding judges, local administrative judges, and court administrators on various topics, including court budgets, operational funding, and case-level statistics. The Office of Court Administration is also authorized to reimburse attendees for expenses related to the conference, contingent upon available appropriations. The provisions of this bill will apply only to local administrative district judges elected after the bill's effective date, which is set for 91 days following the end of the legislative session.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Government Code 74.091 (Government Code 74)