By Duncan                                              S.B. No. 265
         76R1597 MLS-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the temporary assignment of a district court judge to a
 1-3     court of appeals.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 22, Government Code, is
 1-6     amended by adding Section 22.229 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 22.229.  TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT OF DISTRICT JUDGE TO COURT
 1-8     OF APPEALS.  (a)  The chief justice of a court of appeals may
 1-9     assign a district court judge to sit on a court of appeals in which
1-10     the judge's district is located.
1-11           (b)  To be eligible for assignment under Subsection (a), a
1-12     judge must:
1-13                 (1)  meet the qualifications for a justice of a court
1-14     of appeals provided by Section 6, Article V, Texas Constitution;
1-15     and
1-16                 (2)  be an active judge of a district court.
1-17           (c)  A district court judge may not be assigned to a court of
1-18     appeals for more than 20 cases in a year.
1-19           (d)  A district court judge assigned to a court of appeals
1-20     under Subsection (a)  may not receive additional compensation for
1-21     the judge's service on the court of appeals but is entitled to
1-22     reimbursement of the travel expenses incurred by the judge while
1-23     serving on the court of appeals, as provided in the General
1-24     Appropriations Act.
 2-1           (e)  A district court judge assigned to a court of appeals
 2-2     under Subsection (a) has all the powers of a justice of a court of
 2-3     appeals during the district court judge's assignment.
 2-4           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-5     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-6     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-7     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-8     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
 2-9     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-10     passage, and it is so enacted.