The legislative efforts to reduce the number of courts of appeals in Texas from 14 to 7 and significantly realign the existing boundaries of the current courts of appeals has ended.
The sponsor of Senate Bill 11, Sen. Joan Huffman, announced late Thursday night in a letter to her fellow members of the Senate Jurisprudence Committee that she does not plan to move her legislation forward this year.
“Since the 87th Legislature concludes its business at the end of May, time does not allow for Senate Bill 11 to move further in the legislative process this session,” Huffman wrote.
“Restructuring appellate courts to improve efficiency and equalize workload is a significant undertaking, and we have dedicated considerable time to addressing this issue,” the senator wrote. “But, we also know that this is a nuanced issue with many stakeholders, and we will continue to develop a plan for the appellate courts.”
The legislation was discussed at a hearing on March 29, but it received widespread criticism among lawyers and members of the bench.