Proposing a constitutional amendment regarding the membership of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, the membership of the tribunal to review the commission's recommendations, and the authority of the commission, the tribunal, and the Texas Supreme Court to more effectively sanction judges and justices for judicial misconduct.

Contracts

• Dispute Resolution Clauses: Review standard Master Services Agreements (MSAs) and vendor contracts immediately.
• Arbitration Strategy: The Fiscal Note predicts increased litigation *by* judges fighting public sanctions, which will congest court dockets. Furthermore, the new suspension power creates venue instability. Strengthen binding arbitration clauses to bypass the state court system during this transition period.

Hiring/Training

• Outside Counsel Guidelines: Update engagement letters with outside counsel. Require them to utilize the expanded public disciplinary database for all judge vetting.
• Recusal Training: In-house litigation teams must be trained that filing a judicial complaint is no longer a confidential corrective measure; it is a public action that may necessitate a recusal motion.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

• Docket Monitoring: Establish a monitoring protocol for judicial indictments. Under the new law, an indictment triggers a mandatory suspension, requiring immediate case reassignment. Your docketing team must flag these events instantly to prevent missed deadlines during case transfers.

Fees & Costs

• Litigation Costs: Expect an increase in outside counsel fees. The elimination of private sanctions will lead to more aggressive defense by judges against complaints, slowing down the judicial machinery and extending the lifecycle of your corporate lawsuits.