HBA-BSM H.B. 543 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 543
By: Deshotel
Judicial Affairs
3/26/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The Ninth Appellate District has one of the heaviest caseloads per justice
in Texas, despite the fact that approximately 18 percent of the appeals
filed in the Ninth Court of Appeals are transferred to other jurisdictions.
The Committee on Judicial Affairs (committee) conducted hearings on
appellate redistricting during the interim of the 76th Legislature.  One of
the recommendations the committee approved was to place fast-growing
Montgomery County in the First and Fourteenth Appellate districts and to
add smaller Trinity and Chambers counties to the Ninth Appellate District.
This may reduce the number of cases transferred out of the Ninth Appellate
District and make the First, Ninth, and Fourteenth Appellate districts more
compact.  House Bill 543 complies with the committee's recommendations. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 543 amends the Government Code to remove Chambers and Trinity
counties from the First and Fourteenth courts of appeals districts, and
adds them to the Ninth Court of Appeals District.  The bill removes
Montgomery County from the Ninth Court of Appeals District, and  adds it to
the First and Fourteenth courts of appeals districts. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.