county judges can’t practice law in their own county

The text as introduced · 322 words

89R15485 BCH-D

By: Bumgarner
H.B. No. 4260

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a prohibition on the practice of law in certain courts

by a county commissioner or a county judge.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 82.064, Government Code, is amended by

amending Subsections (b) and (c) and adding Subsection (d) to read

as follows:

(b) A county judge [ or county clerk ] who is licensed to

practice law may not appear and practice as an attorney at law in :

(1) any court in the county where the county judge

serves; or

(2) any other county or justice court except in cases

over which the court in which the judge [ or clerk ] serves has

neither original nor appellate jurisdiction.

(c) A county clerk who is licensed to practice law may not

appear and practice as an attorney at law in the supreme court, the

court of criminal appeals, a court of appeals, [ or ] a district

court , or any county or justice court unless the court in which the

clerk serves has neither original nor appellate jurisdiction.

(d) A county commissioner who is licensed to practice law

may not appear and practice as an attorney at law in any court of

appeals, district court, county court, or justice court with

jurisdiction in the county the county commissioner serves.

SECTION 2. Sections 171.010(c) and (d), Local Government

Code, are repealed.

SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to

an action or proceeding filed on or after the effective date of this

Act. An action or proceeding filed before the effective date of

this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the action or

proceeding was filed, and the former law is continued in effect for

that purpose.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.