Relating to authorizing the attorney general to petition the chief justice of the supreme court to convene a special three-judge district court in certain circumstances.

HB 1317 authorizes Texas' attorney general to request the chief justice of the Supreme Court to convene a special three-judge district court for specific cases. It directly affects lawsuits where the state or its agencies are defendants, particularly those challenging public school funding/operations (including accountability under Education Code Chapter 39) or disputes over district apportionment for legislative or judicial bodies. If the attorney general petitions, all original court proceedings pause until the chief justice rules, and if approved, the case transfers to the special court. The bill creates a procedural mechanism to handle these high-stakes cases in a specialized judicial setting.