1-1 By: Harris S.B. No. 619
1-2 (In the Senate - Filed February 17, 1997; February 20, 1997,
1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Intergovernmental
1-4 Relations; March 10, 1997, rereferred to Committee on
1-5 Jurisprudence; March 25, 1997, reported favorably by the following
1-6 vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; March 25, 1997, sent to printer.)
1-7 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-8 AN ACT
1-9 relating to the expenses of the Court of Appeals for the Second
1-10 Court of Appeals District.
1-11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-12 SECTION 1. Section 22.203, Government Code, is amended to
1-13 read as follows:
1-14 Sec. 22.203. Second Court of Appeals. (a) The Court of
1-15 Appeals for the Second Court of Appeals District shall be held in
1-16 the City of Fort Worth.
1-17 (b) Tarrant County shall furnish and equip suitable rooms
1-18 for the court and the justices without expense to the state.
1-19 (c) The court may transact its business in any county in the
1-20 district as the court determines is necessary or convenient.
1-21 (d) [(c)] The Court of Appeals for the Second Court of
1-22 Appeals District is composed of a chief justice and of six justices
1-23 holding places numbered consecutively beginning with Place 2.
1-24 (e) [(d)] The designation of offices and places under this
1-25 section identifies the offices and places for all purposes,
1-26 including identification on official ballots for primary and
1-27 general elections notwithstanding Section 52.092, Election Code.
1-28 (f) [(e)] A vacancy in the office of justice or chief
1-29 justice of the Court of Appeals for the Second Court of Appeals
1-30 District shall be filled by designation of office and, in the case
1-31 of a justice, by designation of place.
1-32 (g) [(f)] The court by a majority vote of its members shall
1-33 promulgate rules establishing a seniority system to determine which
1-34 office and place is held by each member of the court. The chief
1-35 justice shall file the names and place numbers of the court members
1-36 with the secretary of state and the clerk of the court.
1-37 (h) [(g)] If any additional offices of justices of the court
1-38 are created, the designation for those offices shall be in
1-39 consecutive numerical order beginning with Place 8. If two or more
1-40 offices of justice are created to take effect the same date, and
1-41 the legislature does not specify places for those offices, the
1-42 court shall by rule determine places for each office. If the court
1-43 does not determine places before a person is appointed or elected
1-44 to fill the initial vacancy, the places are determined by the
1-45 seniority system established as provided by Subsection (g) [(f)].
1-46 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.
1-47 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
1-48 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-49 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-50 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-51 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-52 * * * * *