TX SB1576

Establishes a general requirement that masters, magistrates, referees, and associate judges appointed under Chapter 54 of the Government Code must have been licensed to practice law in Texas for at least five years before appointment

Creates exceptions for seven specific code sections where only two years of law licensure is required before appointment

Removes the previous four-year law licensure requirement from numerous county-specific magistrate qualification provisions across Texas, replacing it with the new standardized five-year requirement under the general provision

Eliminates alternative qualification pathways in several counties that previously allowed appointment of individuals who had served as justices of the peace or municipal court judges without being licensed attorneys

Increases the required years of law licensure for associate judges in family law and child protection cases from four years to five years

Applies only to appointments made on or after September 1, 2025; existing appointees remain governed by prior qualification requirements