Overall Vote Recommendation

Yes

Principle Criteria

Free Enterprise

Property Rights

Personal Responsibility

Limited Government

Individual Liberty

Digest

SB 2933 proposes amendments to Section 22.110 of the Texas Government Code to expand the scope of required judicial training in Texas. Specifically, the bill includes elder abuse and neglect among the mandatory training topics for judges and judicial officers. This builds upon existing education requirements that already encompass family violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and child abuse. The goal is to ensure that the judiciary is better equipped to understand and handle cases involving the abuse and neglect of older adults, a demographic that is often vulnerable and underrepresented in legal proceedings.

The bill mandates that within their first term or four years of service, district judges, statutory county court judges, associate judges, masters, referees, and magistrates must complete 12 hours of relevant training. This includes at least four hours on trafficking, child abuse and neglect, and elder abuse and neglect; six hours on community resources, gender bias, and trauma-informed dynamics; and one hour on family violence dynamics. Continued education is also required every four years thereafter, with at least five additional hours focused on the above subject areas. Judges handling family law or family violence matters must complete an extra hour of specialized training every two years.

To implement these changes, SB 2933 tasks the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals with adopting the necessary administrative rules. These rules must ensure that the judicial education programs meet the detailed content standards laid out in the bill, including training on psychological and medical indicators of abuse, developmental impacts on victims, and relevant statutory and case law. Overall, the bill aims to improve the quality and consistency of judicial decision-making in cases involving vulnerable populations, particularly older Texans.

The committee substitute for Senate Bill 2933 significantly expands and clarifies the original filed version of the bill, broadening the judicial training requirements and updating administrative provisions.

In the originally filed bill, the primary objective was to integrate elder abuse into existing judicial education by mandating training for judges and magistrates on topics that already included family violence, sexual assault, trafficking, and child abuse and neglect. It required the Court of Criminal Appeals to adopt rules ensuring 12 hours of training in a judge’s first term (or within four years), followed by an additional five hours each subsequent term. The training content areas were defined and included various forms of abuse, trauma-informed care, and dynamics of victimization. Notably, this version designated the Texas Supreme Court as the entity responsible for adopting and implementing rules, with the option to consult professional organizations for subject matter guidance.

The Committee Substitute, however, shifts administrative responsibility exclusively to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and formally amends the heading of Section 22.110 in the Government Code to include "elder abuse and neglect" in the scope of judicial instruction. It also explicitly expands Subsection (a) to require the Court of Criminal Appeals to ensure training on elder abuse alongside previously existing topics. Moreover, the revised version includes a detailed structure for rulemaking, breaks down training hour allocations more precisely, and updates the list of required instruction content by adding elder abuse and neglect as a standalone category. These changes reflect an elevated policy emphasis on elder protection and institutional clarity.

Additionally, the Committee Substitute includes a more detailed directive for applying the bill’s provisions to all judicial officers holding office on or after the effective date and simplifies administrative implementation by consolidating authority under the Court of Criminal Appeals. This marks a significant refinement from the initially filed bill, which implied dual responsibility between courts and did not adjust statutory headings or text structure with the same specificity. Overall, the Committee Substitute represents a more comprehensive and organized legislative approach.

Author (1)

Jose Menendez

Co-Author (3)

Carol Alvarado

Cesar Blanco

Borris Miles

Sponsor (1)

Jeff Leach

Contact the Author

Sen. Jose Menendez

Capitol Phone:

(512) 463-0126

Capitol Office:

EXT E1.610

E-Mail:

[email protected]

Visit Official Website

Fiscal Notes

According to the Legislative Budget Board (LBB), SB 2933 is not expected to have a significant fiscal impact on the State of Texas. The costs associated with implementing the expanded judicial training requirements on elder abuse and neglect can be absorbed within the current resources of relevant state agencies, specifically the Office of Court Administration and the Texas Judicial Council.

This assessment implies that while the bill imposes additional training obligations on judges and judicial officers, the infrastructure and funding already in place for judicial education are sufficient to accommodate the added content. Agencies may integrate elder abuse and neglect modules into existing training programs without requiring new appropriations or substantial operational changes.

Likewise, the bill is not expected to create significant fiscal burdens for local governments. Since judicial training is centrally coordinated and administered at the state level, local entities such as county courts are not expected to incur additional costs. Overall, the fiscal analysis confirms that SB 2933 achieves its policy objectives—enhancing judicial awareness and competency on elder abuse—without incurring new financial strain on the state budget.

Vote Recommendation Notes

SB 2933 is a narrowly crafted, fiscally neutral measure that responsibly enhances judicial training without expanding government, increasing regulatory burdens, or imposing new costs on taxpayers. The bill responds to a documented increase in elder abuse cases in Texas, rising from 60,000 in 2022 to over 83,000 in 2023, by mandating that judges and magistrates receive training to help them better identify and respond to elder abuse and neglect. This is particularly relevant for judicial officers in probate, guardianship, and family law courts who routinely make decisions that impact the safety and welfare of older Texans.

Importantly, SB 2933 does not grow the size or scope of government. It utilizes the existing judicial training framework under the authority of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, expanding only the subject matter, not the structure of ongoing education. There is no creation of new agencies or administrative bodies. The implementation is contained entirely within current judicial oversight systems, preserving the principle of limited government.

From a fiscal standpoint, the Legislative Budget Board determined that the bill carries no significant cost to the state. Any expenses associated with the new training content can be absorbed by the Office of Court Administration and related entities using existing resources. Local governments also face no added financial burden. Furthermore, the bill does not regulate private individuals or businesses, impose new fees or licensing standards, or introduce compliance requirements outside the judiciary. As such, it does not interfere with free enterprise or personal autonomy.

In sum, SB 2933 thoughtfully advances judicial competence in an area of growing concern—elder abuse—while remaining aligned with foundational principles such as individual liberty, limited government, and fiscal responsibility. As such, Texas Policy Research recommends that lawmakers vote YES on SB 2933.

Individual Liberty: The bill promotes individual liberty by helping protect one of Texas’s most vulnerable populations: the elderly. Judges trained to recognize and respond to elder abuse are better equipped to protect seniors from exploitation, neglect, and harm. This supports the right of individuals, regardless of age, to live free from abuse and to have fair, informed access to justice.
Personal Responsibility: By mandating training for judges on elder abuse, the bill reinforces the responsibility of judicial officers to make informed, competent decisions. It encourages greater accountability in the legal system by ensuring that those who interpret and enforce the law are educated on how to identify abuse and uphold justice for elderly Texans.
Free Enterprise: The bill does not affect the private sector or interfere with markets. It imposes no new rules, reporting requirements, or costs on businesses or individuals outside the judicial system. There is no regulatory burden that would discourage economic freedom.
Private Property Rights: The bill does not change or restrict anyone’s right to own or use property. While elder abuse often includes financial exploitation, this bill addresses that issue indirectly—by educating judges, not by changing property law or placing new restrictions on transactions.
Limited Government: Importantly, the bill does not expand the size or scope of government. It operates within the existing judicial training framework and requires no new agencies, staff, or ongoing appropriations. The training can be delivered using current resources, making this a targeted, efficient policy change that supports limited government values.

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