Section 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 judge."