Court Opinion

ID: 9377211
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-03-07 11:08:06.406652+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:17:12.640753
License: Public Domain

TEXAS COURT OF APPEALS, THIRD DISTRICT, AT AUSTIN

                      JUDGMENT RENDERED FEBRUARY 28, 2023

                                     NO. 03-21-00074-CV

 Appellant, Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation// Cross-
     Appellants, Accident Fund Insurance Company of America and Texas Cotton
                                    Ginners’ Trust

                                                v.

  Appellees, Accident Fund Insurance Company of America and Texas Cotton Ginners’
           Trust// Cross-Appellee, Texas Department of Insurance, Division of
                                Workers’ Compensation

         APPEAL FROM THE 53RD DISTRICT COURT OF TRAVIS COUNTY
         BEFORE CHIEF JUSTICE BYRNE, JUSTICES TRIANA AND KELLY
           AFFIRMED IN PART, REVERSED AND RENDERED IN PART—
                    OPINION BY CHIEF JUSTICE BYRNE

This is an appeal from the judgment signed by the trial court on January 14, 2021. Having

reviewed the record and the parties’ arguments, the Court holds that there was reversible error in

the court’s judgment. Therefore, the Court reverses the trial court’s judgment in part and renders

judgment in part as follows:       Because we hold 28 Texas Administrative Code Section

130.102(d)(1)(D) is facially valid, we reverse that part of the district court’s judgment to the

contrary that enjoined the Division from applying that rule. Because we hold that the preamble

to the Division’s Rule 130.102 and the Division’s Appeals Panel Decision Manual both contain

an invalid rule, we reverse the part of the district court’s judgment to the contrary. We otherwise
affirm the district court’s judgment. The parties shall pay their own costs relating to this appeal,

both in this Court and in the court below.