By: Duncan  S.B. No. 1650
         (In the Senate - Filed March 10, 2009; March 20, 2009, read
  first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
  March 31, 2009, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 9,
  Nays 0; March 31, 2009, sent to printer.)
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to appeals in cases arising under the Federal Arbitration
  Act.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 51, Civil Practice and
  Remedies Code, is amended by adding Section 51.016 to read as
  follows:
         Sec. 51.016.  APPEAL ARISING UNDER FEDERAL ARBITRATION ACT.
  In a matter subject to the Federal Arbitration Act (9 U.S.C. Section
  1 et seq.), a person may take an appeal or writ of error to the court
  of appeals from the judgment or interlocutory order of a district
  court, county court at law, or county court under the same
  circumstances that an appeal from a federal district court's order
  or decision would be permitted by 9 U.S.C. Section 16.
         SECTION 2.  (a)  Except as provided by this section, the
  change in law made by this Act applies to an action filed on or after
  the effective date of this Act or pending on the effective date of
  this Act.
         (b)  The change in law made by this Act does not apply to the
  appeal of an interlocutory order in an action pending on the
  effective date of this Act if the appeal of the order is initiated
  before the effective date of this Act.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
 
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