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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the publication of opinions by a court. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 21, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Section 21.013 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 21.013. PUBLICATION OF OPINIONS. The authorship of an |
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opinion published by a court is public information. A court may not |
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issue a per curiam decision. |
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SECTION 2. Section 72.086(b), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) For cases on the docket of the court during the |
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reporting year, the supreme court shall annually report to the |
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office: |
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(1) the average number of days from the date a case is |
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filed with the court until the date the court releases an order |
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announcing its decision granting, overruling, denying, or |
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dismissing an application, petition, or motion; |
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(2) the average number of days from the date of the |
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granting of an application, petition, or motion until the date of |
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oral argument of the case; and |
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(3) the average number of days from the date of the |
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oral argument of the case until the date the court issues a signed |
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opinion and judgment for the case[; and |
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[(4) the average number of days from the date of filing |
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of a case with the court until the date of the release of a per |
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curiam opinion]. |
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SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to an opinion published by a court on or after the effective date of |
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this Act. A court opinion published before the effective date of |
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this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the opinion was |
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published, and the former law is continued in effect for that |
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purpose. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |