Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 115 Part 3.djvu/39

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PUBLIC LAW 107-114 -JAN. 8, 2002 115 STAT. 2113 (D) by striking "Hearing commissioners" each place it appears in subsections (b), (d), and (i) and inserting "Magistrate judges"; and (E) in the heading, by striking "Hearing commissioners" and inserting "Magistrate judges". (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— Section 16-924, District of Columbia Code, is amended— (A) by striking "hearing commissioner" each place it appears and inserting "magistrate judge"; and (B) in subsection (f), by striking "hearing commissioner's" and inserting "magistrate judge's". (3) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The item relating to section 11-1732 of the table of sections of chapter 17 of title 11, B.C. Code, is amended to read as follows: "11-1732. Magistrate judges.". (b) TRANSITION PROVISION REGARDING HEARING COMMIS- SIONERS.— Any individual serving as a hearing commissioner under section 11-1732 of the District of Columbia Code as of the date of the enactment of this Act shall serve the remainder of such individual's term as a magistrate judge, and may be reappointed as a magistrate judge in accordance with section 11-1732(d), District of Columbia Code, except that any individual serving as a hearing commissioner as of the date of the enactment of this Act who was appointed as a hearing commissioner prior to the effective date of section 11-1732 of the District of Columbia Code shall not be required to be a resident of the District of Columbia to be eligible to be reappointed. (c) EFFECTIVE DATE. —The amendments made by this section shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act. SEC. 6. SPECIAL RULES FOR MAGISTRATE JUDGES OF FAMILY COURT. (a) IN GENERAL. — Chapter 17 of title 11, District of Columbia Code, is amended by inserting after section 11-1732 the following new section: "§ 11-1732A. Special rules for magistrate judges of the Family Court of the Superior Court and the Domestic Violence Unit "(a) USE OF SOCIAL WORKERS IN ADVISORY MERIT SELECTION PANEL. —The advisory selection merit panel used in the selection of magistrate judges for the Family Court of the Superior Court under section 11-1732(b) shall include certified social workers specializing in child welfare matters who are residents of the District and who are not employees of the District of Columbia Courts. " (b) SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS. —Notwithstanding section 11- 1732(c), no individual shall be appointed or assigned as a magistrate judge for the Family Court of the Superior Court or as a magistrate judge for the Domestic Violence Unit handling actions or proceedings which would otherwise be under the jurisdiction of the Family Court unless that individual— "(1) is a citizen of the United States; "(2) is an active member of the unified District of Columbia Bar; "(3) for the 5 years immediately preceding the appointment has been engaged in the active practice of law in the District, has been on the faculty of a law school in the District, or