(a) The presiding judge of each administrative judicial region, after conferring with the judges of courts to which this subchapter applies in the region, shall determine whether those courts require the appointment of a full-time or part-time associate judge to assist the courts with conducting:
(1) guardianship proceedings, including with conducting annual reviews of guardianships; or
(2) protective services proceedings.
(b) If the presiding judge of an administrative judicial region determines the courts described by Subsection (a) require the appointment of an associate judge, the presiding judge shall appoint an associate judge from a list of applicants who submit an application to the office of court administration and meet the qualifications prescribed by Section 54A.305. Before making the appointment, the presiding judge must provide the list to each judge of a court from which guardianship proceedings or protective services proceedings will be referred to the associate judge. Each of those judges and the presiding judge of the statutory probate courts may recommend to the presiding judge of the administrative judicial region one or more of the listed applicants for appointment.

(c) Before reappointing an associate judge appointed under Subsection (b), a presiding judge of an administrative judicial region must notify each judge of a court from which guardianship proceedings or protective services proceedings will be referred to the associate judge of the presiding judge’s intent to reappoint the associate judge for another term. Each of those judges and the presiding judge of the statutory probate courts may submit to the presiding judge of the administrative judicial region a recommendation on whether the associate judge should be reappointed.
(d) An associate judge appointed under this subchapter serves the courts to which this subchapter applies in the administrative judicial region that are specified by the appointing presiding judge. Two or more presiding judges of administrative judicial regions may jointly appoint one or more associate judges under this subchapter to serve specified courts to which this subchapter applies in the presiding judges’ regions.