Two of the bills Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht endorsed in his State of the Judiciary address on April 5, 2023, passed during the 88th Texas Legislative Session.
The first, House Bill 19, relates “to the creation of a specialty trial court to hear certain cases; authorizing fees.” Specifically, the bill calls this the “Business Court.”
The bill is effective Sept. 1, 2023, and the court will be established Sept. 1, 2024.
Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht presenting the 2023 State of Judiciary. Photo by Leila Saidane, The Texas Tribune.
The court will have 11 divisions each serving the counties composing the corresponding administrative judicial region defined in the Texas Government Code, Title 2, Subtitle F, Chapter 74. Travis, Hays, and Williamson counties fall under the Third Business Court Division.
The business court will have the powers provided to district courts by Chapter 24 of the government code, including the powers to: issue writs of injunction, mandamus, sequestration, attachment, garnishment, and supersedeas; grant relief that may be provided by a district court.