PMWJ H.B. 783 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS JUDICIAL AFFAIRS H.B. 783 By: Gallego 5-8-97 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND An active court of appeals justice may now be assigned for limited service on a trial court bench if the justice has trial court experience. PURPOSE H.B. 783 would allow active justices of the supreme court and judges of the court of criminal appeals also to be assigned to trial courts for temporary service. Since these judges and justices promulgate rules for use by trial courts, the bill would give them practical, "hands on" experience with the rules they have promulgated. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1 amends Section 74.054(a), Government Code, to allow active justices of the supreme court and judges of the court of criminal appeals to be assigned to trial courts. SECTION 2 amends Section 74.060, Government Code. Subsec. (a) is amended to make conforming changes. Subsec. (b) is amended to limit trial court assignments of active supreme court, court of criminal appeals, and court of appeals justices and judges to 14 calendar days in a calendar year and to prohibit such assignments in Bexar, Dallas, Ector, Fort Bend, Harris, Jefferson, Lubbock, Midland, Tarrant, or Travis counties. New Subsec. (c) provides that the 14 day limitation does not affect a judge's or justice's continuing to sit in a particular case. SECTION 3 is amended to make conforming changes. SECTION 4. Effective date. Application of act. SECTION 5. Emergency clause.