By: Harris S.B. No. 619
97S0415/1
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1-1 relating to the expenses of the Court of Appeals for the Second
1-2 Court of Appeals District.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 22.203, Government Code, is amended to
1-5 read as follows:
1-6 Sec. 22.203. Second Court of Appeals. (a) The Court of
1-7 Appeals for the Second Court of Appeals District shall be held in
1-8 the City of Fort Worth.
1-9 (b) Tarrant County shall furnish and equip suitable rooms
1-10 for the court and the justices without expense to the state.
1-11 (c) The court may transact its business in any county in the
1-12 district as the court determines is necessary or convenient.
1-13 (d) [(c)] The Court of Appeals for the Second Court of
1-14 Appeals District is composed of a chief justice and of six justices
1-15 holding places numbered consecutively beginning with Place 2.
1-16 (e) [(d)] The designation of offices and places under this
1-17 section identifies the offices and places for all purposes,
1-18 including identification on official ballots for primary and
1-19 general elections notwithstanding Section 52.092, Election Code.
1-20 (f) [(e)] A vacancy in the office of justice or chief
1-21 justice of the Court of Appeals for the Second Court of Appeals
1-22 District shall be filled by designation of office and, in the case
1-23 of a justice, by designation of place.
2-1 (g) [(f)] The court by a majority vote of its members shall
2-2 promulgate rules establishing a seniority system to determine which
2-3 office and place is held by each member of the court. The chief
2-4 justice shall file the names and place numbers of the court members
2-5 with the secretary of state and the clerk of the court.
2-6 (h) [(g)] If any additional offices of justices of the court
2-7 are created, the designation for those offices shall be in
2-8 consecutive numerical order beginning with Place 8. If two or more
2-9 offices of justice are created to take effect the same date, and
2-10 the legislature does not specify places for those offices, the
2-11 court shall by rule determine places for each office. If the court
2-12 does not determine places before a person is appointed or elected
2-13 to fill the initial vacancy, the places are determined by the
2-14 seniority system established as provided by Subsection (g) [(f)].
2-15 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.
2-16 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
2-17 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-18 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-19 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-20 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.