Texas Family Code - Section 201.101. Authority Of Presiding Judge

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§ 201.101. AUTHORITY OF PRESIDING JUDGE.  (a) The 
presiding judge of each administrative judicial region, after 
conferring with the judges of courts in the region having 
jurisdiction of Title IV-D cases, shall determine which courts 
require the appointment of a full-time or part-time associate judge 
to complete each Title IV-D case within the time specified in this 
subchapter.
	(b)  The presiding judge may limit the appointment to a 
specified time period and may terminate an appointment at any time.
	(c)  An associate judge appointed under this subchapter may 
be appointed to serve more than one court.  Two or more judges of 
administrative judicial regions may jointly appoint one or more 
associate judges to serve the regions.
	(d)  If the presiding judge determines that a court requires 
an associate judge for Title IV-D cases, the presiding judge shall 
appoint an associate judge for that purpose.  Except as provided 
under Subsection (e), if an associate judge is appointed for a court 
under this subchapter, all Title IV-D cases shall be referred to the 
associate judge by a general order for each county issued by the 
judge of the court for which the associate judge is appointed, or, 
in the absence of that order, by a general order issued by the 
presiding judge who appointed the associate judge. Referral of 
Title IV-D cases may not be made for individual cases or case by 
case.
	(e)  If a county has entered into a contract with the Title 
IV-D agency under Section 231.0011, enforcement services may be 
directly provided by county personnel as provided under Section 
231.0011(d), including judges and associate judges of the courts of 
the county.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, § 1, eff. April 20, 1995.  
Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1258, § 7, eff. Sept. 1, 
2003.

Last modified: August 10, 2007