SRC-JLB H.B. 988 78(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.B. 988
78R5593 YDB-DBy: Brown, Fred (Ogden)
Jurisprudence
4/10/2003
Engrossed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Brazos County is the only county in Texas which lies within three
different court of appeals districts.  Cases originating in Brazos County
may be sent to either the First or Fourteenth Court of Appeals in Houston
or to the Tenth Court of Appeals in Waco.  As proposed, H.B. 988 removes
Brazos County from the First Court of Appeals District and the Fourteenth
Court of Appeals District. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to
a state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Sections 22.201(b) and (o), Government Code, as follows:
 
(b)  Removes Brazos County from the list of counties constituting the
First Court of Appeals District, leaving that district to be composed of
the counties of Austin, Brazoria, Burleson, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend,
Galveston, Grimes, Harris, Trinity, Walker, Waller, and Washington. 

(o)  Removes Brazos County from the list of counties constitution the
Fourteenth Court of Appeals District, leaving that district to be composed
of Austin, Brazoria, Burleson, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston,
Grimes, Harris, Trinity, Walker, Waller, and Washington. 

SECTION 2.  Provides that this Act does not affect the jurisdiction on
appeal of any case from a county that is transferred by this Act to a
different court of appeals district if the transcripts for the case were
filed before the effective date of this Act in the appropriate court of
appeals district. 
 
SECTION 3.  Effective date:  September 1, 2003.