15th COA Bill Nears Enactment

Republican legislators continued their march to expand the judiciary and lessen the influence of Democratic judges as the Texas House May 19 passed a Senate bill that would create a new, statewide intermediate court of appeals.

The proposed Fifteenth Court of Appeals would have exclusive intermediate appellate jurisdiction over cases involving the state or state agencies, including institutions of higher education. The court would be based in Austin but could transact its business in any county deemed necessary and convenient. The court of appeals also would hear appeals from business specialty courts, if those trial courts are created through passage of a separate bill.