By McReynolds                                   H.B. No. 2229

      75R7165 MWV-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the creation of the Fifteenth Court of Appeals

 1-3     District.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 22.201(a), Government Code, is amended to

 1-6     read as follows:

 1-7           (a)  The state is divided into 15 [14] courts of appeals

 1-8     districts with a court of appeals in each district.

 1-9           SECTION 2.  Section 22.201(j), Government Code, is amended to

1-10     read as follows:

1-11           (j)  The Ninth Court of Appeals District is composed of the

1-12     counties of [Angelina,] Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty,

1-13     Montgomery, Newton, Orange, Polk, San Jacinto, and Tyler.

1-14           SECTION 3.  Section 22.201, Government Code, is amended by

1-15     adding Subsection (p) to read as follows:

1-16           (p)  The Fifteenth Court of Appeals District is composed of

1-17     Angelina County.

1-18           SECTION 4.  Subchapter C, Chapter 22, Government Code, is

1-19     amended by adding Section 22.2151 to read as follows:

1-20           Sec. 22.2151.  FIFTEENTH COURT OF APPEALS.  The Court of

1-21     Appeals for the Fifteenth Court of Appeals District shall be held

1-22     in the city of Lufkin.

1-23           SECTION 5.  Section 22.216, Government Code, is amended by

1-24     adding Subsection (o) to read as follows:

 2-1           (o)  The Court of Appeals for the Fifteenth Court of Appeals

 2-2     District consists of a chief justice and two justices.

 2-3           SECTION 6.  Section 31.001, Government Code, is amended to

 2-4     read as follows:

 2-5           Sec. 31.001.  Authority For County Payment Of Compensation.

 2-6     The commissioners courts in the counties of each of the [14] courts

 2-7     of appeals districts may pay an amount not to exceed $15,000 a year

 2-8     to each of the justices of the courts of appeals residing within

 2-9     the court of appeals district that includes those counties.  The

2-10     payment is for all judicial and administrative services performed

2-11     by the justices.

2-12           SECTION 7.  The governor shall appoint, with the advice and

2-13     consent of the senate, one chief justice and two justices for the

2-14     Fifteenth Court of Appeals District.  Each appointee must meet the

2-15     qualifications prescribed by law for justices of the courts of

2-16     appeals.  An appointee serves until the next general election for

2-17     state and county officers.

2-18           SECTION 8.  This Act does not affect the jurisdiction on

2-19     appeal of any case from a county that is transferred by this Act to

2-20     a different court of appeals district if the transcripts for the

2-21     case were filed before the effective date of this Act in the

2-22     appropriate court of appeals district.

2-23           SECTION 9.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-24           SECTION 10.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-25     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-26     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-27     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-1     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.