By:  Duncan                                            S.B. No. 265
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                       AN ACT
 1-1     relating to the temporary assignment of a district court judge to a
 1-2     court of appeals.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 22, Government Code, is
 1-5     amended by adding Section 22.229 to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 22.229.  TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT OF DISTRICT JUDGE TO COURT
 1-7     OF APPEALS.  (a)  The chief justice of a court of appeals may
 1-8     assign a district court judge to sit on a court of appeals in which
 1-9     the judge's district is located.
1-10           (b)  To be eligible for assignment under Subsection (a), a
1-11     judge must:
1-12                 (1)  meet the qualifications for a justice of a court
1-13     of appeals provided by Section 6, Article V, Texas Constitution;
1-14     and
1-15                 (2)  be an active judge of a district court.
1-16           (c)  A district court judge may not be assigned to a court of
1-17     appeals for more than 20 cases in a year.
1-18           (d)  A district court judge assigned to a court of appeals
1-19     under Subsection (a)  may not receive additional compensation for
1-20     the judge's service on the court of appeals but is entitled to
1-21     reimbursement of the travel expenses incurred by the judge while
1-22     serving on the court of appeals, as provided in the General
1-23     Appropriations Act.
1-24           (e)  A district court judge assigned to a court of appeals
 2-1     under Subsection (a) has all the powers of a justice of a court of
 2-2     appeals during the district court judge's assignment.
 2-3           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-4     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-5     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-6     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-7     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
 2-8     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
 2-9     passage, and it is so enacted.