§51-2A-23. Operative dates; terminology.
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, the
provisions of Enrolled Senate Bill No. 5007, passed during the
fifth extraordinary session of the Legislature, two thousand one,
become operable on the first day of January, two thousand two. It
is intended that the family law master system in existence on the
first day of July, two thousand one, will continue to function
under the prior enactment of this article, notwithstanding the
passage of Enrolled Senate Bill No. 5007, until the first day of
January, two thousand two, when the existing family law master
system is replaced with the system of family court judges provided
for in this article.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this
section, the provisions of section five of this article providing
for the initial appointment of family judges by the governor become
operable on the first day of October, two thousand one.
(c) After the effective date of this article, whenever the
terms "master", "law master" or "family law master" appear in this
code, the terms shall have the same meaning as "family court