Relating to the disciplinary power of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct to issue private reprimands.

SB 221 amends Texas law to explicitly allow the State Commission on Judicial Conduct to issue private reprimands as a disciplinary option for judges. It directly affects judges facing complaints and the Commission, which now has a formal process for private sanctions alongside public warnings or suspensions. Key provisions include adding "private sanction" to the Commission’s options in Section 33.0212(b), defining it in Section 33.001(a)(10), and requiring the Commission to inform complainants if a private sanction is issued (Section 33.033(b)). The bill makes private reprimands part of a judge’s official disciplinary record (Section 33.032(d)), but only takes effect if a 2025 constitutional amendment passes and the law is implemented on January 1, 2026.