Unambiguous provisions of a nonsubstantive codification take precedence over repealed statutes when the two cannot be reconciled.
A wholesale grocer paid sales taxes to various vendors who then remitted them to the State. After the Comptroller denied the grocer's refund claims for certain periods based on a statute of limitations, the grocer sued. The Comptroller argued that the grocer, as an indirect taxpayer, could only seek refunds through assignments from vendors. The court considers whether the Tax Code allows an indirect taxpayer to pursue refunds directly from the State. The court holds that when specific provisions of a nonsubstantive codification are direct, unambiguous, and cannot be reconciled with prior law, the codification must be given effect over the repealed statute.
At page 284 Constraining legislative history against clear statutory language322 citing cases“prior law and legislative history cannot be used to alter or disregard the express terms of a code provision when its meaning is clear from the code when considered in its entirety.”
- Opinion No. (Tex. Att'y Gen. 2003).published (where codified statute is unambiguous, plain meaning rule applies even if codification is inconsistent with its statutory predecessor)
- Untitled Texas Attorney Gen. Opinion, No. GA-89 (Tex. Att'y Gen. July 2, 2003).published (where codified statute is unambiguous, plain meaning rule applies even if codification is inconsistent with its statutory predecessor)
- City of Houston, Texas v. Roger Bates, Michael L. Spratt & Douglas Springer, 406 S.W.3d 555 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2011).published See id. at 286 (“We are compelled to conclude that when, as here, specific provisions of a ‘nonsubstantive’ codification and the code as a whole are direct, unambiguous, and cannot be reconciled with pri- or law, the codification rather th…
- Canal Ins. Co. v. Hopkins, 238 S.W.3d 549 (Tex. App.—Tyler 2007).published ([Legislative history cannot be used to alter or disregard the express terms of a code provision when its meaning is clear from the code when considered in its entirety, unless there is an error such as a typographical…)
- Untitled Texas Attorney Gen. Opinion, No. GA-129 (Tex. Att'y Gen. July 2, 2003).published (specific, unambiguous [codified] statutes are the current law and should not be construed by a court to mean something other than the plain words say)
- Opinion No. (Tex. Att'y Gen. 2003).published “specific, unambiguous codified statutes are the current law and should not be construed by a court to mean something other than the plain words say”
- SignAd, Ltd. v. Texas Dep't of Transp., No. 15-24-00075-CV (Tex. App.—15th Dist. Mar. 12, 2025).publishedFleming Foods of Tex., Inc. v. Rylander, 6 S.W.3d 278, 284 (Tex. 1999); TGS–NOPEC Geophysical Co., 340 S.W.3d at 438 .
- In the Matter of L. H. v. the State of Texas, 733 S.W.3d 55 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2024).publishedFleming Foods of Tex., Inc. v. Rylander, 6 S.W.3d 278, 284 (Tex. 1999).
- In the Matter of J.J.T. v. the State of Texas, No. 01-23-00358-CV (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] Dec. 5, 2023).publishedFleming Foods of Tex., Inc. v. Rylander, 6 S.W.3d 278, 284 (Tex. 1999).
- Sibel Onasis Ferrer v. Madalena Elizabeth Almanza, Isabella P. Almanza, & Albert Boone Almanza, 667 S.W.3d 735 (Tex. 2023).publishedFleming Foods of Tex., Inc. v. Rylander, 6 S.W.3d 278, 284 (Tex. 1999).
Show 148 more citing cases
- Am. Nat'l Ins. Co. v. Bertha Arce, Individually & as Rep. of All Others Similarly Situated, 672 S.W.3d 347 (Tex. 2023).publishedTex. 2019). 12 6 S.W.3d 278, 284 (Tex. 1999).
- Christopher Shaun Pratt v. the State of Texas for the Prot. of Tahana Pratt-Lopez, No. 13-22-00030-CV (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi–Edinburg Apr. 27, 2023).published“This general rule applies unless enforcing the plain language of the statute as written would produce absurd results.” Id. (citing Fleming Foods of Tex., Inc. v. Rylander, 6 S.W.3d 278, 284 (Tex. 1999)).
- Pepper v. GVG Capital LLC, No. 4:22-cv-02912 (S.D. Tex. Jan. 17, 2023).(Nor can the Code Construction Act’s directive to the Legislative Council to refrain from changing the sense, meaning, or effect of a previous statute be used as a basis to alter the express terms of a code that the Leg…)
- in Re Pedro Martinez & Lydia Gonzalez, Individually & on Behalf of the Est. of Pedro Jovany \Bruno\" Martinez", No. 03-21-00233-CV (Tex. App.—Austin July 28, 2022).published“[U]nambiguous statutes are the current law and should not be construed by a court to mean something other than the plain words say unless there is an obvious error such as a typographical one that resulted in the omissi…”
- Entergy Texas, Inc. v. David Woollen & Wayne Hill, No. 09-20-00297-CV (Tex. App.—Beaumont Nov. 10, 2021).publishedFleming Foods of Tex. v. Rylander, 6 S.W.3d 278, 284 (Tex. 1999).
- Bertha Arce, Individually & as Rep. of All Others Similarly Situated v. Am. Nat'l Ins. Co., 633 S.W.3d 228 (Tex. App.—Amarillo 2021).published(Texas will not allow prior statutes “to alter or disregard the express terms” of an unambiguous statute)
- Delta Cnty. Appraisal Dist. v. PPF Gin & Warehouse, LLC, 632 S.W.3d 637 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2021).published“This general rule applies unless enforcing the plain language of the statute as written would produce absurd results.” Summers, 282 S.W.3d at 437 (citing Fleming Foods of Tex., Inc. v. Rylander, 6 S.W.3d 278, 284 (Tex. 1999)).
- Mike Morath, Comm'r of Educ., in His Off. Capacity, & Texas Educ. Agency v. Texas Am. Fed'n of Teachers & Texas State Teachers Ass'n, No. 08-20-00152-CV (Tex. App.—El Paso June 14, 2021).publishedThe same arguments were raised in Martinez and rejected by the court because “[l]egislative history . . . ‘cannot be used to alter or disregard the express terms of a code provision when its meaning is clear from the code when considered i…
- Kilgore ISD v. Sheila Anderson, No. 12-20-00133-CV (Tex. App.—Tyler Dec. 22, 2020).published“This general rule applies unless enforcing the plain language of the statute as written would produce absurd results.” Summers, 282 S.W.3d at 437 (citing Fleming Foods of Tex., Inc. v. Rylander, 6 S.W.3d 278, 284 (Tex. 1999)).
- in the Interest of S.M., E.M., A.M., & T.M., Child., 616 S.W.3d 53 (Tex. App.—Tyler 2020).publishedFleming Foods of Tex., Inc. v. Rylander, 6 S.W.3d 278, 284 (Tex. 1999).
- Pedro Martinez, Superintendent of San Antonio Indep. Sch. Dist. v. San Antonio All. of Teachers & Support Pers., No. 04-18-00421-CV, 2019 WL 1548431 (Tex. App.—San Antonio Apr. 10, 2019).published“cannot be used to alter or disregard the express terms of a code provision when its meaning is clear from the code when considered in its entirety”
- Pedro Morales v. Bradley Carlin & Elizabeth Carlin, No. 03-18-00376-CV, 2019 WL 1388524 (Tex. App.—Austin Mar. 28, 2019).publishedFleming Foods of Tex., Inc. v. Rylander, 6 S.W.3d 278, 284 (Tex. 1999).
- Kilgore Indep. Sch. Dist. v. Darlene Axberg, John Claude Axberg, Sheila Anderson, & the State of Texas, 572 S.W.3d 244 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2019).published“This general rule applies unless enforcing the plain language of the 18 statute as written would produce absurd results.” Summers, 282 S.W.3d at 437 (citing Fleming Foods of Tex., Inc. v. Rylander, 6 S.W.3d 278, 284 (Tex. 1999)).
- Untitled Texas Attorney Gen. Opinion, No. KP-0193 (Tex. Att'y Gen. July 2, 2018).publishedFleming Foods of Tex., Inc. v. Rylander, 6 S.W.3d 278,284 (Tex. 1999).
- in Re the Est. of Maggie Williams Turner, No. 06-17-00071-CV (Tex. App.—Texarkana Dec. 8, 2017).publishedFleming Foods of Tex., Inc. v. Rylander, 6 S.W.3d 278, 284 (Tex. 1999).
- Kreit v. Brewer & Pritchard, P.C., 530 S.W.3d 231 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2017).publishedHouston [14th Dist.] 2010, no pet.) (“Courts should not adopt a construction that renders statutory provisions meaningless.”) (citing Fleming Foods of Tex. v. Rylander, 6 S.W.3d 278, 284 (Tex. 1999)).
- William Frank Byerley, Individually & as Indep. of the Est. of Francis William Byerley v. Carol McCulley, Individually & as Rep. of the Est. of Winnie Aline Byerley, 514 S.W.3d 426 (Tex. App.—Tyler 2017).published Rylander, 6 S.W.3d at 284.
- City of San Antonio Acting by & Through City Pub. Serv. Bd. A/K/A CPS Energy v. Pub. Util. Comm'n of Texas, 506 S.W.3d 630 (Tex. App.—El Paso 2016).publishedCo., 997 S.W.2d 248, 254 (Tex. 1999); see also CenterPoint Energy Houston Elec., LLC, 408 S.W.3d at 916-17 ; Fleming Foods of Tex., Inc. v. Rylander, 6 S.W.3d 278, 284 (Tex. 1999); State, 246 S.W.3d at 332.
- Choice! Power, L.P. v. Michael Feeley, 501 S.W.3d 199 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2016).publishedId. “ ‘But general statements by the Legislature that “no substantive change in the law is intended” must be considered with the clear, specific language used’ in section 38.001.” Id. (quoting Fleming Foods of Tex., Inc. v. Rylander, 6 S.W…
- Volkswagen Grp. of Am., Inc. & Audi of Am., Inc. v. John Walker III, in His Off. Capacity as Chairman of the Texas Dep't of Motor Vehs. Bd. The Honorable Michael J. O'Malley, the Honorable Penny A. Wilkov, in Their Off. Capacities as Admin. Law Judges for the State Off., No. 03-15-00285-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Sept. 1, 2015).publishedFleming Foods of Texas, Inc. v. Rylander, 6 S.W.3d 278, 284 (Tex. 1999); Texas Orthopaedic Ass’n. v. Texas State Bd., 254 S.W.3d 714, 719-20 (Tex. App.—Austin 2008, pet. denied).
- AC Interests L.P., Formerly Am. Coatings, L.P. v. Texas Comm'n on Env't Quality, No. 01-15-00378-CV (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] July 9, 2015).publishedFleming Foods of Tex. v. Rylander, 6 S.W.3d 278, 284 (Tex. 1999); Heritage on San Gabriel Homeowners Ass’n v. Tex. Comm’n on Envtl.
- Mary Louise Serafine v. Alexander Blunt & Ashley Blunt, 466 S.W.3d 352 (Tex. App.—Austin 2015).published Corp. v. De La Lastra, 852 S.W.2d 916, 923 (Tex. 1993))); City of Round Rock v. Rodriguez, 399 S.W.3d 130, 137 (Tex. 2013) (“When a statute is clear and unambiguous, we do not resort to extrinsic aides such as legislative history to interp…
- Risk Mgmt. Strategies, Inc. v. Texas Workforce Comm'n, 464 S.W.3d 864 (Tex. App.—Austin 2015).published(courts should not adopt construction that renders statutory provisions meaningless)
- Mary Louise Serafine v. Alexander Blunt & Ashley Blunt, No. 03-12-00726-CV (Tex. App.—Austin May 1, 2015).publishedCorp. v. De La Lastra, 852 S.W.2d 916, 923 (Tex. 1993))); City of Round Rock v. Rodriguez, 399 S.W.3d 130, 137 (Tex. 2013) (“When a statute is clear and unambiguous, we do not resort to extrinsic aides such as legislative history to interp…
- Texas Orthopaedic Ass'n v. Texas State Bd. of Podiatric Med. Examiners, 254 S.W.3d 714 (Tex. App.—Austin 2008).published
- Texas Orthopaedic Ass'n, Texas Med. Ass'n & Andrew M. Kant, M.D. v. Texas State Bd. of Podiatric Med. Examiners Texas Podiatric Med. Ass'n & Bruce A. Scudday, D.P.M., No. 03-05-00620-CV (Tex. App.—Austin May 23, 2008).published
- Alonzo Moses Botello v. State, No. 03-07-00680-CR (Tex. App.—Austin May 23, 2008).published
- Texas Orthopaedic Ass'n, Texas Med. Ass'n & Andrew M. Kant, M.D. v. Texas State Bd. of Podiatric Med. Examiners Texas Podiatric Med. Ass'n & Bruce A. Scudday, D.P.M., No. 03-05-00620-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Mar. 14, 2008).published
- Janie Morales & Terrie Secaida, Cmty. Adm'r of the Est. of Edward Secaida v. Chard Richard Craig Wheaton Van Lines, Inc. & Johnnie P. Williams, No. 03-99-00553-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Mar. 14, 2008).published
- Entergy Gulf States, Inc. v. Summers, 282 S.W.3d 433 (Tex. 2009).published
- Hernandez v. Ebrom, 289 S.W.3d 316 (Tex. 2009).published
- Dealers Elec. Supply Co. v. Scoggins Constr. Co., 292 S.W.3d 650 (Tex. 2009).published
- City of Waco v. Kelley, 309 S.W.3d 536 (Tex. 2010).published
- Marks v. St. Luke's Episcopal Hosp., 319 S.W.3d 658 (Tex. 2010).published
- Samlowski v. Wooten, 332 S.W.3d 404 (Tex. 2011).published
- Rogers v. Texas State Bd. of Pub. Acct., 310 S.W.3d 1 (Tex. App.—Austin 2008).published
- CenterPoint Energy Houston Elec., LLC v. Gulf Coast Coalition of Cities, 252 S.W.3d 1 (Tex. App.—Austin 2008).published
- State v. Pub. Util. Com's of Texas, 246 S.W.3d 324 (Tex. App.—Austin 2008).published
- State v. Mid-South Pavers, Inc., 246 S.W.3d 711 (Tex. App.—Austin 2008).published
- In Re Texas Dep't of State Health Servs., 278 S.W.3d 1 (Tex. App.—Austin 2008).published
- Swepi Lp v. R.R. Com'n of Texas, 314 S.W.3d 253 (Tex. App.—Austin 2010).published
- Tgs-nopec Geophysical Co. v. Combs, 268 S.W.3d 637 (Tex. App.—Austin 2008).published
- AEP Texas Cent. Co. v. Pub. Util. Comm'n of Texas, 258 S.W.3d 272 (Tex. App.—Austin 2008).published
- City of Fort Worth v. Abbott, 258 S.W.3d 320 (Tex. App.—Austin 2008).published
- Zboyan v. Far Hills Util. Dist., 221 S.W.3d 924 (Tex. App.—Beaumont 2007).published
- Edwards Aquifer Auth. v. Day, 274 S.W.3d 742 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2008).published
- Gallagher Headquarters Ranch Dev., Ltd. v. City of San Antonio, 269 S.W.3d 628 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2008).published
- Geeslin v. State Farm Lloyds, 255 S.W.3d 786 (Tex. App.—Austin 2008).published
- Consol. Reinforcement, L.P. v. Carothers Exec. Homes, Ltd., 271 S.W.3d 887 (Tex. App.—Austin 2008).published
- Hernandez v. Brinker Int'l, Inc., 285 S.W.3d 152 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2009).published
- Texas Dep't of Ins. v. State Farm Lloyds, 260 S.W.3d 233 (Tex. App.—Austin 2008).published
- Carlson v. City of Houston, 309 S.W.3d 579 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2010).published
- Texas Comm'n on Env't Quality v. Abbott, 311 S.W.3d 663 (Tex. App.—Austin 2010).published
- In Re Est. of Frederick, 311 S.W.3d 127 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2010).published
- Bates v. Randall Cnty., 297 S.W.3d 828 (Tex. App.—Amarillo 2009).published
- AEP Texas North Co. v. Pub. Util. Comm'n, 297 S.W.3d 435 (Tex. App.—Austin 2009).published
- Hintz Ex Rel. Hintz v. Lally, 305 S.W.3d 761 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2010).published
- State v. Chacon, 273 S.W.3d 375 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2008).published
- McCollough v. McCollough, 212 S.W.3d 638 (Tex. App.—Austin 2006).published
- Sharp Eng'g v. Luis, 321 S.W.3d 748 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2010).published
- Choy v. Graziano Roofing of Texas, Inc., 322 S.W.3d 276 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2009).published
- In Re B.R., 327 S.W.3d 208 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2010).published
- Martinez-Partido v. Methodist Specialty & Transplant Hosp., 327 S.W.3d 274 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2010).published
- Curtis & Windham Architects, Inc. v. Williams, 315 S.W.3d 102 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2010).published
- Hardy v. Matter, 350 S.W.3d 329 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2011).published
- Texas Tech Univ. Health Sci. Ctr. v. Williams, 344 S.W.3d 508 (Tex. App.—El Paso 2011).published
- Andrew Choy v. Graziano Roofing of Texas, Inc., No. 01-07-00761-CV (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] Oct. 1, 2009).published
- Centerpoint Energy Houston Elec., LLC & Texas Genco, LP // Cross Gulf Coast Coalition of Cities, Houston Council for Health & Educ., City of Houston, Coalition of Cities v. Pub. Util. Comm'n of Texas, Off. of Pub. Util. Couns., Gulf Coast Coalition of Cities, City of Houston, Texas Indus. Energy Consumers, Houston Council for Health & Educ., State of Texas, Occidental Power Mktg., L.P., No. 03-05-00557-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Dec. 20, 2007).published
- State of Texas// Mid-South Pavers, Inc. v. Mid-South Pavers, Inc.// Cross-Appellee, State of Texas, No. 03-06-00666-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Dec. 19, 2007).published
- Brandon Antony Rogers v. State, No. 03-08-00590-CR (Tex. App.—Austin Dec. 12, 2008).published
- AEP Texas North Co., F/K/A West Texas Utils. Co. v. SPA Pipe, Inc. D/B/A Smith Pipe of Abilene & SPA Pipe & Supply, LP, No. 03-06-00122-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Dec. 12, 2008).published
- PODER, Govalle/Johnston Terrace Neighborhood Plan. Team, Old West Austin Neighborhood Ass'n & Fix Austin v. City of Austin Mayor of Austin, the Honorable Will Wynn Mayor Pro Tem Betty Dunkerley Council Member Mike Martinez Council Member Jennifer Kim Council Member Lee Leffingwell Council Member Brewster McCracken Council Member Sheryl Cole, No. 03-08-00226-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Oct. 16, 2008).published
- in Re Benny Wayne Stewart, No. 03-08-00571-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Sept. 26, 2008).published
- R. M. v. State, No. 03-08-00317-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Sept. 26, 2008).published
- TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Co.// Susan Combs, Successor-In-Interest to Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Comptroller of Pub. Accounts of the State of Texas, & Greg Abbott, Attorney Gen. of the State of Texas v. Susan Combs, Successor-In-Interest to Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Comptroller of Pub. Accounts of the State of Texas, & Greg Abbott, Attorney Gen. of the State of Texas// Cross-Appellee, TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Co., No. 03-07-00640-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Aug. 15, 2008).published
- Texas Dep't of Ins. & Mike Geeslin, in His Capacity as Comm'r of Ins.// State Farm Lloyds v. State Farm Lloyds// Texas Dep't of Ins. & Mike Geeslin, in His Capacity as Comm'r of Ins., No. 03-07-00168-CV (Tex. App.—Austin July 24, 2008).published
- Ramon Garza Jr. v. State, No. 03-07-00401-CR (Tex. App.—Austin July 24, 2008).published
- City of Fort Worth & Dale A. Fisseler, in His Off. Capacity as City Manager & as Officer for Pub. Info. v. Greg Abbott, Attorney Gen. of Texas Fort Worth Star-Telegram & Melody McDonald, No. 03-07-00553-CV (Tex. App.—Austin July 3, 2008).published
- AEP Texas Cent. Co. The State of Texas, by & Through the Off. of the Attorney Gen., Consum. Prot. & Pub. Health Div., Pub. Agency Representation Section// Pub. Util. Comm'n of Texa v. Pub. Util. Comm'n of Texas// AEP Texas Cent. Co. The State of Texas, by & Through the Off. of the Attorney Gen., Consum. Prot. & Pub. Health Div., Pub. Agency Representation Section, No. 03-07-00196-CV (Tex. App.—Austin June 27, 2008).published
- 271 Truck Repair & Parts, Inc. v. First Air Express, Inc. & Allen T. Love, No. 03-07-00498-CV, 2008 WL 2387630 (Tex. App.—Austin June 11, 2008).published
- AEP Texas Cent. Co. The State of Texas, by & Through the Off. of the Attorney Gen., Consum. Prot. & Pub. Health Div., Pub. Agency Representation Section// Pub. Util. Comm'n of Texa v. Pub. Util. Comm'n of Texas// AEP Texas Cent. Co. The State of Texas, by & Through the Off. of the Attorney Gen., Consum. Prot. & Pub. Health Div., Pub. Agency Representation Section, No. 03-07-00196-CV (Tex. App.—Austin May 23, 2008).published
- Alonzo Moses Botello v. State, No. 03-07-00680-CR (Tex. App.—Austin May 22, 2008).published
- in Re Bobby Dale Barina, No. 03-08-00179-CV (Tex. App.—Austin May 9, 2008).published
- Buffalo Equities, Ltd. v. the City of Austin, No. 03-05-00356-CV (Tex. App.—Austin May 9, 2008).published
- Fred Rogers v. Texas State Bd. of Pub. Acct., No. 03-07-00440-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Apr. 24, 2008).published
- Cities of Corpus Christi // AEP Texas Cent. Co. v. Pub. Util. Comm'n of Texas // Cities of Corpus Christi, No. 03-06-00585-CV, 2008 WL 615417 (Tex. App.—Austin Mar. 5, 2008).published
- Eric H. Scheffey, M.D. v. Edna Ramon Butts, Interim Comm'r of Ins. of the Texas Dep't of Ins., Gloria Leal, Temp. Acting Comm'r of Ins. of the Texas Dep't of Ins. & Texas Med. Liab. Ins. Underwriting Ass'n, No. 03-04-00811-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Feb. 15, 2008).published
- State v. Pub. Util. Comm'n of Texas, Represented by the Off. of the Attorney Gen., Nat. Resources Div. & Texas Indus. Energy Consumers, No. 03-06-00503-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Jan. 25, 2008).published
- West Campus Ramsey Props., Ltd.// Encinal Condo. Owners' Ass'n, Inc. v. Encinal Condo. Owners' Ass'n, Inc.// Cross-Appellee, West Campus Ramsey Props., Ltd., No. 03-09-00146-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Dec. 30, 2009).published
- Texas Bd. of Law Examiners v. Donald Little, No. 03-09-00342-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Dec. 30, 2009).published
- Jonah Water Special Util. Dist. v. Aaron Keith White & Lance White, No. 03-06-00626-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Aug. 31, 2009).published
- AEP Texas North Co.// Cities of Abilene, Ballinger, San Angelo & Vernon v. Pub. Util. Comm'n of Texas, Off. of Pub. Util. Couns., Texas Indus. Energy Consumers, Cities of Abilene, Ballinger, San Angelo & Vernon// Cross AEP Texas North Co., No. 03-05-00644-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Aug. 31, 2009).published
- City of Frisco v. Comm'n on State Emergency Commc'ns, No. 03-08-00579-CV (Tex. App.—Austin July 9, 2009).published
- S. Plastics, Inc. v. Susan Combs, Comptroller of Pub. Accounts of the State of Texas, & Greg Abbott, Attorney Gen. of the State of Texas, No. 03-08-00149-CV (Tex. App.—Austin July 1, 2009).published
- ICAN Enter., Inc., Dba ICAN Aviation Michael Zucker, President & Naomi Zucker, Vice President v. Williamson Cnty. Appraisal Dist. & Williamson Cnty. Appraisal Review Bd., No. 03-06-00594-CV, 2009 WL 1025084 (Tex. App.—Austin Apr. 17, 2009).published
- Vill. of Salado v. Lone Star Storage Trailer, II Ltd. & Lone Star Storage Trailer, No. 03-06-00572-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Apr. 10, 2009).published
- Tommy Earl Landrum Jr. v. State, No. 03-08-00640-CR (Tex. App.—Austin Apr. 10, 2009).published
- Sw. Bell Yellow Pages v. Susan Combs, Successor to Carole Strayhorn, Comptroller of Pub. Accounts of the State of Texas & Greg Abbott, Attorney Gen. of the State of Texas, No. 03-07-00638-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Jan. 30, 2009).published
- David Allen Hall v. Pedernales Elec. Coop., Inc. John Worrall, Individually & as Rep. of Others Similarly Situated Glenn Van Shellenbeck, Individually & as Rep. of Others Similarly Situated & Linda Evans, No. 03-08-00373-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Jan. 30, 2009).published
- Anadarko E&P Co., L.P. F/K/A RME Petroleum Co. Larry T. Long, Sammy Adamson & L. Allan Long, in Their Capacities as Trs. for the Lawrence Allan Long Trust, Charles Edward Long Trust, Larry Thomas Long Trust & John Stephen Long Trust v. R.R. Comm'n of Texas Anadarko E&P Co., L.P. F/K/A RME Petroleum Co., No. 03-04-00027-CV, 2009 WL 47112 (Tex. App.—Austin Jan. 7, 2009).published
- State v. Sophia D. Chacon, No. 04-07-00670-CR (Tex. App.—San Antonio Sept. 17, 2008).published
- Edwards Aquifer Auth., (APPELLANT/CROSS-APPELLEE) v. Burrell Day & Joel McDaniel, (APPELLEES/CROSS-APPELLANTS) State of Texas, (APPELLEE ONLY), No. 04-07-00103-CV (Tex. App.—San Antonio Aug. 29, 2008).published
- Teresa Bates, as the Pers. Rep. of the Est. of Kevin Bates, & Joe Reynero v. Randall Cnty., No. 07-08-00072-CV (Tex. App.—Amarillo Sept. 25, 2009).published
- Roy W. Zboyan v. Far Hills Util. Dist., No. 09-06-00147-CV (Tex. App.—Beaumont Apr. 26, 2007).published
- Sheryl Hintz, as Next of Friend for Donald Hintz, Jr. v. Kevin Lally, M.D., No. 14-08-00635-CV (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] Nov. 19, 2009).published
- George Saade, M.D., Michael Belfort, M.D., Rakesh Mangal, M.D., & Charles Moniak, M.D. v. Mercedes Villarreal, as Next of Friend of Juan Pablo Elizondo, a Minor, No. 14-07-00736-CV (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] Feb. 26, 2009).published
- Texas Comm'n on Env't Quality v. the Honorable Greg Abbott, Attorney Gen. of Texas & the Honorable Eliot Shapleigh, Texas Senator, No. 03-09-00250-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Apr. 13, 2010).published
- Jerry Sharpe v. Angela McDole, No. 03-09-00139-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Apr. 13, 2010).published
- Texas Adjutant Gen.'s Off. v. Michele Ngakoue, No. 03-09-00087-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Apr. 29, 2011).published
- Randal David Pepper v. State, No. 03-10-00233-CR (Tex. App.—Austin Apr. 29, 2011).published
- Elness Swenson Graham Architects, Inc. & Mark Swenson v. RLJ II-C Austin Air, LP RLJ II-C Austin Air Lessee, LP & RLJ Lodging Fund II Acquisitions, LLC, No. 03-10-00805-CV, 2011 WL 1562891 (Tex. App.—Austin Apr. 20, 2011).published
- City of Austin v. Ronnie Esparza, No. 03-10-00472-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Aug. 10, 2012).published
- Tjfa, L.P. v. Texas Comm'n on Env't Quality & BFI Waste Sys. of North Am., Inc., 368 S.W.3d 727 (Tex. App.—Austin 2012).published
- Sylva Eng'g Corp. v. Hasan Giray Kaya, No. 03-12-00334-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Apr. 18, 2013).published
- Texas Ass'n of Psychological Assocs. v. Texas State Bd. of Examiners of Psychologists & Texas Psychological Ass'n, 439 S.W.3d 597 (Tex. App.—Austin 2014).published
- Fleming & Assocs., L.L.P. v. Barton, 425 S.W.3d 560 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2014).published
- Tex Star Motors, Inc. v. Regal Fin. Co., Ltd. & Regal Fin. Co. II, Ltd., 401 S.W.3d 190 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2012).published
- Sharp Eng'g & Pradeep Shah v. Sergio R. Luis & Judith Yanet Delgado, Individually & as Next Friend of Sergio Luis Delgado, Jackeline Luis & Johnatha Luis, Minors, No. 14-09-00645-CV (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] Aug. 10, 2010).published
- James & Elizabeth Carlson, Jose & Elizabeth Referente, Roger Compodonico, Sergio A. Lopez, Yan Wang & Hui Yao, Danial & Andrea Seluk, Robert Hutchins, Robert & Kelly Farfan, Bonnie Corbett, Helen Pagola, & Manny Espinola v. City of Houston, No. 14-08-01044-CV (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] Feb. 18, 2010).published
- City of Midland v. M.T.D. Env't, L.L.P., 429 S.W.3d 800 (Tex. App.—Eastland 2014).published
- Jesus Ruben Molina v. Elias Alvarado, 441 S.W.3d 578 (Tex. App.—El Paso 2014).published
- Bruington Eng'g, Ltd. v. Pedernal Energy, LLC, No. 04-13-00558-CV (Tex. App.—San Antonio Jan. 28, 2015).published
- Nalle Plastics Fam. Ltd. P'ship v. Porter, Rogers, Dahlman & Gordon, P.C. & Patrick P. Rogers, 406 S.W.3d 186 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 2013).published
- Bruington Eng'g, Ltd. v. Pedernal Energy, L.L.C., 456 S.W.3d 181 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2014).published
- Direct Value, LLC & Martin F. Cody, Jr. v. Stock Bldg. Supply, LLC, 388 S.W.3d 386 (Tex. App.—Amarillo 2012).published
- the Honorable George E. Risner v. Harris Cnty. Repub. Party, Paul Simpson, Chair, & Leonila Salazar, 444 S.W.3d 327 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2014).published
- Emeritus Corp. v. Lillian Blanco, 355 S.W.3d 270 (Tex. App.—El Paso 2011).published
- New Hampshire Ins. Co. v. Peggy C. Allison, 414 S.W.3d 266 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2013).published
- In re Lewis, 357 S.W.3d 396 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2011).published
- G4 Trust, Grover Gibson, Tr. v. Consol. Gasoline, Inc. & Billy Delp, III, No. 02-10-00404-CV (Tex. App.—Fort Worth Aug. 31, 2011).published
- ACS Partners, LLC v. Allen Gross, No. 01-11-00245-CV, 2012 WL 1655547 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] May 4, 2012).published
- TDIndustries, Inc. v. Citicorp North Am., Inc., 378 S.W.3d 1 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2011).published
- Killam Ranch Props., Ltd. v. Webb Cnty., Texas, 376 S.W.3d 146 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2012).published
- James G. Gartrell, Jr. v. Earnest Joseph Wren, No. 01-11-00586-CV, 2011 WL 6147786 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] Dec. 8, 2011).published
- Roland Hardy D/B/A Hardy & Assocs. v. Carol Matter & Frank Matter, No. 04-10-00785-CV (Tex. App.—San Antonio July 20, 2011).published
- Killam Ranch Props., Ltd. v. Webb Cnty., Texas, No. 04-10-00324-CV (Tex. App.—San Antonio May 11, 2011).published
- Pakal Enter., INC. & Rene Dominguez v. Lesak Enter., L.L.C. DBA Pro Surv & Toby P. Couchman, 369 S.W.3d 224 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2011).published
- Est. of Jason Randall Frederick, No. 02-09-00133-CV (Tex. App.—Fort Worth Apr. 8, 2010).published
- In the Interest of B.R., 327 S.W.3d 208 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2010).published
- Dos Republicas Coal P'ship v. David Saucedo, as Floodplain Adm'r & Cnty. Judge of the Maverick Cnty. Commissioners Court, & the Maverick Cnty. Commissioners Court, No. 13-14-00725-CV (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi Apr. 2, 2015).published
- Melden & Hunt, Inc. v. East Rio Hondo Water Supply, No. 13-15-00227-CV (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi June 29, 2015).published
- Untitled Texas Attorney Gen. Opinion, No. KP-0010 (Tex. Att'y Gen. July 2, 2015).published
- Untitled Texas Attorney Gen. Opinion, No. GA-0638 (Tex. Att'y Gen. July 2, 2008).published
- Untitled Texas Attorney Gen. Opinion, No. GA-0622 (Tex. Att'y Gen. July 2, 2008).published
- Untitled Texas Attorney Gen. Opinion, No. KP-0148 (Tex. Att'y Gen. July 2, 2017).published
- Texas Comm'r of Educ. & Mission Consol. Indep. Sch. Dist. v. Dr. Maria Solis, 562 S.W.3d 591 (Tex. App.—Austin 2018).published
- Harris Cnty. Appraisal Dist. v. IQ Life Sciences Corp., 612 S.W.3d 93 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2020).published
- Saade v. Villarreal, 280 S.W.3d 511 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2009).published
At page 282 Applying legislative acceptance doctrine to tax code interpretation60 citing casesThe doctrine of legislative acceptance contemplates that "'[a] statute of doubtful meaning that has been construed by the proper administrative officers, when re-enacted without any substantial change in verbiage, will ordinarily receive the same construction.'
- Patricia Mosley v. Texas Health & Human Servs. Comm'n & Texas Dep't of Fam. & Prot. Servs., 593 S.W.3d 250 (Tex. 2019).published([A]n administrative agency’s construction of a statute cannot contradict the statute’s plain meaning.)
- Gustavo Arias D/B/A Gus Trucking Serv. v. Brookstone, L.P. & Liberty Mut. Ins. Co., No. 01-05-00746-CV (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] Apr. 3, 2008).published (The doctrine of legislative acceptance contemplates that "'[a] statute of doubtful meaning that has been construed by the proper administrative officers, when re-enacted without any substantial change in verbiage, will…)
- Arias v. Brookstone, L.P., 265 S.W.3d 459 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2008).published (The doctrine of legislative acceptance contemplates that “ ‘[a] statute of doubtful meaning that has been construed by the proper administrative officers, when reenacted without any substantial change in verbiage, will…)
- in the Interest of J.R., a Child, No. 14-22-00176-CV (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] July 21, 2022).publishedFleming Foods of Tex., Inc. v. Rylander, 6 S.W.3d 278, 282 (Tex. 1999).
- State Farm Life Ins. Co. v. Martinez, 216 S.W.3d 799 (Tex. 2007).published
- Iliff v. Iliff, 339 S.W.3d 74 (Tex. 2011).published
- Sec. Nat'l Ins. Co. v. Farmer, 89 S.W.3d 197 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2002).published
- In Re Robinson, 175 S.W.3d 824 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2005).published
- INAC CORP. v. Underwriters at Lloyd's, 56 S.W.3d 242 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2001).published
- Welch v. McLean, 191 S.W.3d 147 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2005).published
Show 38 more citing cases
- TIG Ins. Co. v. Dallas Basketball, Ltd., 129 S.W.3d 232 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2004).published
- Mega Child Care, Inc. v. Texas Dep't of Prot. & Regulatory Servs., 29 S.W.3d 303 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2000).published
- Grapevine Excavation v. Maryland Lloyds, 35 S.W.3d 1 (Tex. 2001).published
- Dep't of Prot. & Regulatory Servs. v. Schutz, 101 S.W.3d 512 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2003).published
- Texas Orthopaedic Ass'n v. Texas State Bd. of Podiatric Med. Examiners, 254 S.W.3d 714 (Tex. App.—Austin 2008).published
- Town of Flower Mound v. Teague, 111 S.W.3d 742 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2003).published
- City of Roanoke v. Town of Westlake, 111 S.W.3d 617 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2003).published
- Gen. Servs. v. Little-Tex Insulation, 39 S.W.3d 591 (Tex. 2001).published
- In Re Edl, 105 S.W.3d 679 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2003).published
- Gilbert v. El Paso Cnty. Hosp. Dist., 38 S.W.3d 85 (Tex. 2001).published
- Nat'l Liab. & Fire Ins. Co. v. Allen, 15 S.W.3d 525 (Tex. 2000).published
- In Re M.C.C., 142 S.W.3d 504 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2004).published
- In Re T.T.F., 331 S.W.3d 461 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2010).published
- Kent v. Holmes, 139 S.W.3d 120 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2004).published
- Texas Dep't of Prot. & Regulatory Servs. v. Schutz, Ann Jeanette, No. 01-00-01245-CV (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] Dec. 19, 2002).published
- in Re Carroll G. Robinson, Bruce R. Hotze, & Jeffrey N. Daily, No. 01-05-00374-CV (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] Apr. 14, 2005).published
- Town of Flower Mound, Texas v. Tom Teague & David Burkett, No. 02-00-00193-CV (Tex. App.—Fort Worth June 26, 2003).published
- City of Roanoke v. Town of Westlake, No. 02-01-00290-CV (Tex. App.—Fort Worth May 22, 2003).published
- in the Interest of E.D.L., a Child, 105 S.W.3d 679 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2003).published
- in the Interest of M.C.C., a Child, 142 S.W.3d 504 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2004).published
- Robert Morrow Welch, M.D. v. Simeon Eden McLean, Individually & as Heir to the Est. of Delores McLean, & Simeon Eden McLean, as Next Friend of Jamila Imari McLean & Imani Zakiya McLean, Minors, No. 02-02-00237-CV (Tex. App.—Fort Worth June 2, 2005).published
- Freddie Louis Brewer v. Texas Dep't of Crim. Just., Bd. of Pardons & Paroles Gerald Garrett Lynn Brown Linda Garcia Rissie Owens Alvin Shaw Sandie Walker & Lucinda Simons, No. 03-01-00650-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Apr. 25, 2002).unpublished
- Texas Orthopaedic Ass'n, Texas Med. Ass'n & Andrew M. Kant, M.D. v. Texas State Bd. of Podiatric Med. Examiners Texas Podiatric Med. Ass'n & Bruce A. Scudday, D.P.M., No. 03-05-00620-CV (Tex. App.—Austin May 23, 2008).published
- Alonzo Moses Botello v. State, No. 03-07-00680-CR (Tex. App.—Austin May 23, 2008).published
- Texas Orthopaedic Ass'n, Texas Med. Ass'n & Andrew M. Kant, M.D. v. Texas State Bd. of Podiatric Med. Examiners Texas Podiatric Med. Ass'n & Bruce A. Scudday, D.P.M., No. 03-05-00620-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Mar. 14, 2008).published
- Janie Morales & Terrie Secaida, Cmty. Adm'r of the Est. of Edward Secaida v. Chard Richard Craig Wheaton Van Lines, Inc. & Johnnie P. Williams, No. 03-99-00553-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Mar. 14, 2008).published
- Reynolds Metals Co. v. Susan Combs, Successor to Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Comptroller of Pub. Accounts of the States of Texas, & Greg Abbott, Attorney Gen. of the State of Texas, No. 03-07-00709-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Apr. 8, 2009).published
- Reynolds Metals Co. v. Susan Combs, Successor to Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Comptroller of Pub. Accounts of the States of Texas, & Greg Abbott, Attorney Gen. of the State of Texas, No. 03-07-00709-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Feb. 4, 2009).published
- Robert Alton Casper v. State, No. 06-02-00218-CR (Tex. App.—Texarkana Dec. 19, 2002).unpublished
- Alan Brad Kent, Individually & as Indep. of the Est. of Linda Ann McWhorter, & Cassie Elizabeth Kent v. Tommy Joe Holmes, No. 06-03-00071-CV (Tex. App.—Texarkana June 9, 2004).published
- Don Denman & Peggy Denman v. SND Operating, L.L.C., No. 06-04-00061-CV, 2005 WL 2316177 (Tex. App.—Texarkana Sept. 23, 2005).published
- Nat'l Pub. Fin. Guarantee Corp. & MBIA Ins. Corp. v. Harris Cnty.-Houston Sports Auth. & Harris Cnty. Sports & Convention Corp., No. 01-13-00401-CV (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] Apr. 15, 2014).published
- in the Interest of J.G.K., a Child, No. 02-10-00188-CV, 2011 WL 2518800 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth June 23, 2011).published
- in the Interest of T.T.F., a Child, 331 S.W.3d 461 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2010).published
- Untitled Texas Attorney Gen. Opinion, No. GA-16 (Tex. Att'y Gen. July 2, 2003).published
- Untitled Texas Attorney Gen. Opinion, No. JC-567 (Tex. Att'y Gen. July 2, 2002).published
- Mike Morath, Comm'r of Educ. The Texas Educ. Agency & the Texas State Bd. of Educ. v. La Feria ISD Joaquin ISD & the Equity Ctr., No. 03-17-00338-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Dec. 14, 2017).published
- Nat'l Pub. Fin. Guarantee Corp. v. Harris Cnty.-Houston Sports Auth., 448 S.W.3d 472 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2014).published
At page 286 Effect of unambiguous codification over prior law46 citing cases“specific provisions of a 'nonsubstantive' codification and the code as a whole are direct, unambiguous, and cannot be reconciled with prior law, the codification rather than the prior, repealed statute must be given effect.”
- Untitled Texas Attorney Gen. Opinion, No. KP-0021 (Tex. Att'y Gen. July 2, 2015).published(We are compelled to conclude that when, as here, specific provisions of a 'nonsubstantive' codification and the code as a whole are direct, unambiguous, and cannot be reconciled with prior law, the codification rather…)
- City of Houston, Texas v. Roger Bates, Michael L. Spratt & Douglas Springer, 406 S.W.3d 555 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2011).published (We are compelled to conclude that when, as here, specific provisions of a ‘nonsubstantive’ codification and the code as a whole are direct, unambiguous, and cannot be reconciled with pri- or law, the codification rathe…)
- Arias v. Brookstone, L.P., 265 S.W.3d 459 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2008).published See Fleming Foods, 6 S.W.3d at 282 (“The doctrine of legislative acceptance contemplates that “ ‘[a] statute of doubtful meaning that has been construed by the proper administrative officers, when reenacted without any substantial change i…
- City of Houston v. Delisa Boodoosingh, 693 S.W.3d 894 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2024).publishedFleming Foods of Texas, Inc. v. Rylander, 6 S.W.3d 278, 286 (Tex. 1999), legislative nonacceptance noted by Tex. H.B. 2809, § 3, 77th Leg., R.S. (2001).
- The State of Texas v. REME, L.L.C., a Texas Ltd. Liab. Co., No. 09-22-00055-CV (Tex. App.—Beaumont July 27, 2023).published“cannot be reconciled with prior law”
- Richard A. Benavides v. Roscoe F. White III, Granite Fam. iProperties,LLC, Ryan K. Lurich, as Tr. of the Granite Fam. Trust, Tri-Props.,Ltd., & Evolv Arbitrage,LLC, No. 05-21-01148-CV (Tex. App.—Dallas Jan. 26, 2023).published“direct, unambiguous, and cannot be reconciled with prior law”
- Transamerica Life Ins. Co. v. Villarreal, No. 4:17-cv-02796 (S.D. Tex. Sept. 13, 2021).“specific provisions of a ‘nonsubstantive’ codification and the code as a whole are direct, unambiguous, and cannot be reconciled with prior law, the codification rather than the prior, repealed statute must be given eff…”
- Pruco Life Ins. Co. v. Villareal, No. 4:17-cv-02795 (S.D. Tex. Sept. 13, 2021).“specific provisions of a ‘nonsubstantive’ codification and the code as a whole are direct, unambiguous, and cannot be reconciled with prior law, the codification rather than the prior, repealed statute must be given eff…”
- the Univ. of Texas Med. Branch at Galveston v. Jayson Crawford, Individually & as Adm'r of the Est. of Tracy Crawford, No. 14-18-00758-CV (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] Dec. 31, 2019).publishedId. (citing Fleming Foods of Tex., Inc. v. Rylander, 6 S.W.3d 278, 286 (Tex. 1999)).
- First Cash, Ltd. v. JQ-Parkdale, LLC, H&JQ PD, LLC, W-SB Staples/SPID, LLC, R-SB Staples/SPID, LLC, Parkdale Income Partners, LP, & Capital Area Retail Dev. II, Inc., 538 S.W.3d 189 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 2018).published “For more than thirty years, our statutes have undergone a continuing process of codification and in some instances recodification.” Fleming Foods of Tex., Inc. v. 6 Rylander, 6 S.W.3d 278, 283 (Tex. 1999).
Show 29 more citing cases
- First Cash, Ltd. v. JQ-Parkdale LLC, No. 13-16-00099-CV (Tex. Jan. 3, 2017).published“specific provisions of a ‘nonsubstantive’ codification and the code as a whole are direct, unambiguous, and cannot be reconciled with prior law, the codification rather than the prior, repealed statute must be given eff…”
- Untitled Texas Attorney Gen. Opinion, No. GA-0499 (Tex. Att'y Gen. July 2, 2007).published
- Serv. Fin. v. Adriatic Ins. Co., 46 S.W.3d 436 (Tex. App.—Waco 2001).published
- Texas Lottery Comm'n v. First State Bank of DeQueen, 254 S.W.3d 677 (Tex. App.—Austin 2008).published
- Texas Workers' Comp. Comm'n v. City of Eagle Pass/Texas Mun. League Workers' Comp. Jt. Ins. Fund, 14 S.W.3d 801 (Tex. App.—Austin 2000).published
- Cities of Austin v. Sw. Bell Tel. Co., 92 S.W.3d 434 (Tex. 2002).published
- Cont'l Cas. Ins. Co. v. Functional Restoration Assocs., 19 S.W.3d 393 (Tex. 2000).published
- Landreth v. Las Brisas Council of Co-Owners, Inc., 285 S.W.3d 492 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 2009).published
- Tune v. Texas Dep't of Pub. Saf., 23 S.W.3d 358 (Tex. 2000).published
- Collins v. Ison-Newsome, 73 S.W.3d 178 (Tex. 2001).published
- Aaron Rents, Inc. v. Travis Cent. Appraisal Dist., 212 S.W.3d 665 (Tex. App.—Austin 2006).published
- Segal v. Emmes Capital, L.L.C., 155 S.W.3d 267 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2004).published
- Farmers Texas Cnty. Mut. Ins. Co. v. Romo, 250 S.W.3d 527 (Tex. App.—Austin 2008).published
- In Re K.G., 350 S.W.3d 338 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2011).published
- Gustavo Arias D/B/A Gus Trucking Serv. v. Brookstone, L.P. & Liberty Mut. Ins. Co., No. 01-05-00746-CV (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] Dec. 20, 2007).published
- Texas Workers' Comp. Comm'n v. City of Eagle Pass/Texas Mun. League Workers' Comp. Jt. Ins. Fund & Capital Metro Transp. Auth./Texas Mun. League Workers' Comp. Jt. Ins. Fund, No. 03-99-00406-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Mar. 9, 2000).published
- Farmers Texas Cnty. Mut. Ins. Co.// Irene Romo & Fenn Ratcliffe, Individually & on Behalf of All Other Persons Similarly Situated v. Irene Romo & Fenn Ratcliffe, Individually & on Behalf of All Other Persons Similarly Situated// Farmers Texas Cnty. Mut. Ins. Co. & USAA Cnty. Mut. Ins. Co., No. 03-06-00335-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Apr. 15, 2008).published
- Gordon E. Landreth & Cotten, Landreth, Kramer Architects & Assocs., Inc. v. Las Brisas Council of Co-Owners, Inc., No. 13-08-00148-CV (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi Feb. 5, 2009).published
- in the Interest of H.G.L. & A.R.L., No. 14-08-00087-CV (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] Nov. 17, 2009).published
- in the Interest of K.G., a Child, 350 S.W.3d 338 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2011).published
- Untitled Texas Attorney Gen. Opinion, No. GA-0505 (Tex. Att'y Gen. July 2, 2007).published
- Untitled Texas Attorney Gen. Opinion, No. GA-0382 (Tex. Att'y Gen. July 2, 2005).published
- Untitled Texas Attorney Gen. Opinion, No. GA-10 (Tex. Att'y Gen. July 2, 2003).published
- Untitled Texas Attorney Gen. Opinion, No. JC-548 (Tex. Att'y Gen. July 2, 2002).published
- Untitled Texas Attorney Gen. Opinion, No. JC-517 (Tex. Att'y Gen. July 2, 2002).published
- Untitled Texas Attorney Gen. Opinion, No. JC-506 (Tex. Att'y Gen. July 2, 2002).published
- Untitled Texas Attorney Gen. Opinion, No. JC-366 (Tex. Att'y Gen. July 2, 2001).published
- Opinion No. (Tex. Att'y Gen. 2007).published
- Untitled Texas Attorney Gen. Opinion, No. GA-0327 (Tex. Att'y Gen. July 2, 2005).published
At page 283 Statutory revision and legislative intent in tax code33 citing cases“whether or not the statute is considered ambiguous on its face.”
- Canal Ins. Co. v. Hopkins, 238 S.W.3d 549 (Tex. App.—Tyler 2007).published See Fleming Foods, 6 S.W.3d at 284 (“[Legislative history cannot be used to alter or disregard the express terms of a code provision when its meaning is clear from the code when considered in its entirety, unless there is an error such as…
- First Cash, Ltd. v. JQ-Parkdale, LLC, H&JQ PD, LLC, W-SB Staples/SPID, LLC, R-SB Staples/SPID, LLC, Parkdale Income Partners, LP, & Capital Area Retail Dev. II, Inc., 538 S.W.3d 189 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 2018).published “For more than thirty years, our statutes have undergone a continuing process of codification and in some instances recodification”
- Greco v. Nat'l Football League, 116 F. Supp. 3d 744 (N.D. Tex. 2015).published“clarify and simplify the statutes and to make the statutes more accessible, understandable, and usable”
- In Re Mem'l Hermann Healthcare Sys., 274 S.W.3d 195 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2008).published
- C & H Nationwide Inc v. Norwest Bank Texas, No. 99-10121 (5th Cir. Apr. 21, 2000).published
- C & H Nationwide Inc v. Norwest Bank Texas, No. 99-10381 (5th Cir. Apr. 21, 2000).published
- Crosby v. Orthalliance New Image, 552 F.3d 413 (5th Cir. 2008).published
- C & H Nationwide, Inc v. Norwest Bank Texas Na, Garnishee Wesley Kennemer Curley Joe Trucking C & H Nationwide Inc v. Norwest Bank Texas Na Wesley Kennemer Curley Joe Trucking, Inc, 208 F.3d 490 (5th Cir. 2000).published
- Energy Serv. Co. of Bowie, Inc. v. Superior Snubbing Servs., Inc., 236 S.W.3d 190 (Tex. 2007).published
- In Re Oca, Inc., 552 F.3d 413 (5th Cir. 2008).published
Show 20 more citing cases
- Ramco Oil & Gas, Ltd. v. Anglo Dutch (Tenge) L.L.C., 171 S.W.3d 905 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2005).published
- Robinson v. Budget Rent-A-Car Sys., Inc., 51 S.W.3d 425 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2001).published
- Ken Petroleum Corp. v. Questor Drilling Corp., 24 S.W.3d 344 (Tex. 2000).published
- Chavez v. City of San Antonio Ex Rel. City of Pub. Serv. Bd., 21 S.W.3d 435 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2000).published
- Upjohn Co. v. Rylander, 38 S.W.3d 600 (Tex. App.—Austin 2000).published
- Galveston Indep. Sch. Dist. v. Clear Lake Rehab. Hosp., L.L.C., 324 S.W.3d 802 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2010).published
- Bader v. Dallas Cent. Appraisal Dist., 139 S.W.3d 778 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2004).published
- Epco Holdings, Inc. v. Chicago Bridge & Iron Co., 352 S.W.3d 265 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2011).published
- Sprague v. Sprague, 363 S.W.3d 788 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2012).published
- Parton v. State Farm Gen. Ins. Co., 208 F. Supp. 2d 659 (E.D. Tex. 2002).published
- RR Maloan Investments, Inc. v. New HGE, Inc., 428 S.W.3d 355 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2014).published
- Donald W. Sowell v. Int'l Interests, LP, 416 S.W.3d 593 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2013).published
- in Re George Green & Garlan Green, No. 03-14-00725-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Jan. 12, 2015).published
- the Cnty. of La Salle v. Joe Weber, in His Off. Capacity as Exec. Dir. of the Texas Dep't of Transp. The Texas Dep't of Transp. Ted Houghton, in His Off. Capacity as Chairman of the Texas Transp. Comm'n, No. 03-14-00501-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Feb. 20, 2015).published
- Untitled Texas Attorney Gen. Opinion, No. GA-0499 (Tex. Att'y Gen. July 2, 2007).published
- Untitled Texas Attorney Gen. Opinion, No. GA-0374 (Tex. Att'y Gen. July 2, 2005).published
- Advanced Powder Solutions, Inc. v. Harris Cnty. Appraisal Dist., 528 S.W.3d 779 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2017).published
- C&H Nationwide, Inc. v. Norwest Bank Texas NA, 208 F.3d 490 (5th Cir. 2000).published
- In Re Am, 101 S.W.3d 480 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 2003).published
- in the Interest of A.M. & B.M., Child., 101 S.W.3d 480 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 2002).published
At page 281 Determining who qualifies as a taxpayer for tax refunds8 citing casesreversing court of appeals which Texas Supreme Court stated had given the legislative history prece dence over the statute’s unambiguous meaning
- Levy v. OfficeMax, Inc., 228 S.W.3d 846 (Tex. App.—Austin 2007).published
- Tara Levy, Rockey Piazza & Linda Piazza, on Behalf of All Others Similarly Situated v. Officemax, Inc. Best Buy Stores, LP & Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Comptroller of Pub. Accounts, No. 03-06-00391-CV (Tex. App.—Austin June 19, 2007).published
- In Re Mem'l Hermann Healthcare Sys., 274 S.W.3d 195 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2008).published
- Burgess v. Gallery Model Homes, Inc., 101 S.W.3d 550 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2003).published
- Burgess, Connie, Individually & on Behalf of All Similarly Situated Consumers v. Circuit City Stores, Inc., & Gallery Model Homes, Inc., D/B/A Gallery Furniture & All Similarly Situated Retailers, No. 01-01-01014-CV (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] Jan. 23, 2003).published
- Mary Ann Chambers, F/D/B/A Today's Signs v. State of Texas & City of Denton, Texas, No. 03-00-00071-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Feb. 28, 2001).unpublished
At page 285 Determining current law from repealed statutes5 citing cases“we must be able to accept and to rely upon the words written by the legislature if they are clear and unambiguous, their meaning is plain when the code in which they appear is read in its entirety, and they do not lead to absurd results.”
- Sw. Bell Yellow Pages v. Susan Combs, Successor to Carole Strayhorn, Comptroller of Pub. Accounts of the State of Texas & Greg Abbott, Attorney Gen. of the State of Texas, No. 03-07-00638-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Jan. 30, 2009).published
- David Allen Hall v. Pedernales Elec. Coop., Inc. John Worrall, Individually & as Rep. of Others Similarly Situated Glenn Van Shellenbeck, Individually & as Rep. of Others Similarly Situated & Linda Evans, No. 03-08-00373-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Jan. 30, 2009).published
- United Servs. Auto. Ass'n v. Strayhorn, 124 S.W.3d 722 (Tex. App.—Austin 2003).published
- United Servs. Auto. Ass'n & USAA Life Ins. Co. v. Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Comptroller of Pub. Accounts of the State of Texas, & Greg Abbott, Attorney Gen. of the State of Texas, No. 03-02-00747-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Nov. 6, 2003).published
At page 279 Taxpayer refund rights without assignment of rights4 citing casesholding that prior version of section 111.104(b) allowed taxpayer to file claim without obtaining assignment
- Serna v. H.E. Butt Grocery Co., 21 S.W.3d 330 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2000).published
- Levy v. OfficeMax, Inc., 228 S.W.3d 846 (Tex. App.—Austin 2007).published
- Tara Levy, Rockey Piazza & Linda Piazza, on Behalf of All Others Similarly Situated v. Officemax, Inc. Best Buy Stores, LP & Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Comptroller of Pub. Accounts, No. 03-06-00391-CV (Tex. App.—Austin June 19, 2007).published
At page 280 “A tax refund claim may be filed with the comptroller by the 7 person who paid the tax”1 citing case
- Best Buy Stores, Inc., Through Its Assignees Paul Denucci, Rockey Piazza, & Linda Piazza v. Glenn Hegar, in His Capacity as Comptroller of Pub. Accounts of the State of Texas, & Ken Paxton, in His Capacity as Attorney Gen. of the State of Texas, No. 03-19-00246-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Apr. 16, 2021).published“A tax refund claim may be filed with the comptroller by the 7 person who paid the tax”
v.
Carole Keeton RYLANDER, Comptroller of Public Accounts of the State of Texas and John Cornyn, Attorney General of the State of Texas, Respondents
delivered the opinion of the Court.
The opinion issued June 10, 1999, is withdrawn, and the following opinion is substituted in its place:
The issue in this case is whether a taxpayer who pays sales tax to a vendor rather than directly to the State may request a tax refund from the State without receiving an assignment of refund rights fi"om the vendor. We hold that sections 111.104, 111.107, and 111.203 of the Texas Tax Code permit an indirect taxpayer to pursue refunds without first obtaining an assignment from the vendor who collected and remitted the tax. Accordingly, we reverse the judgment of the court of appeals and remand this case to the trial court for further proceedings,
I
Fleming Foods, a wholesale grocer, purchased products and commodities from more than a dozen vendors and paid sales taxes to those vendors, who in turn remitted the taxes to the State. Beginning in 1989, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts audited Fleming for possible sales and use tax deficiencies. As part of that audit process, Fleming and the Comptroller entered into a series of agreements that extended the four-year limitations periods for the assessment of taxes, penalties, and interest. Each extension also specifically provided: “This agreement entitles the taxpayer to credits or refunds for the report periods that are extended.” None of Fleming’s vendors joined in the extension agreements between Fleming and the Comptroller, but Fleming obtained assignments of refund rights from its vendors. However, in some cases, vendors did not execute the assignments until more than four years had elapsed since Fleming paid the tax, and in other cases, assignments were made to Fleming after its extension agreements with the Comptroller had expired.
The Comptroller ultimately assessed a deficiency of $353,996.57 against Fleming for sales and use taxes. Fleming requested a redetermination hearing and filed for refunds, contending that it had erroneously paid sales taxes on exempt packing materials over several years. The Comptroller agreed that Fleming was entitled to refunds for certain periods of time but denied claims for others on the basis that they were barred by the Tax Code’s four-year statute of limitations. The Comptroller maintained that Fleming’s refund rights were wholly derivative of its vendors’ rights and that the Tax Code did not permit Fleming, as an indirect taxpayer, to obtain refunds from the State unless vendors timely assigned refund rights.
[*280] Fleming paid the tax deficiency under protest and sued in district court, challenging the Comptroller’s decision that the disputed refund claims were time-barred. Following a bench trial, the trial court rendered a take-nothing judgment against Fleming. The court of appeals affirmed. 951 S.W.2d 278. It concluded that although the clear language of section 111.104 of the Tax Code would allow indirect taxpayers to file for refunds from the State, the statute’s legislative history indicated that this was to be only a codification and that no substantive change was intended. The court of appeals then looked to the predecessor of section 111.104, which included former article 1.11A(3), and concluded that because article 1.11A(3) indicated that only direct taxpayers could file for refunds, section 111.104 of the Tax Code should be construed to say the same thing.
Fleming filed a petition for review with this Court, [1] contending that (1) the courts below erred by holding that Fleming had no right to file for refunds from the State, (2) Fleming’s legal expert should have been permitted to testify, and (3) Fleming should prevail on a detrimental reliance theory. Because of our disposition of the first issue, we do not reach the other questions presented for review.
II
As already indicated, the Comptroller’s position is that the Tax Code only permits taxpayers who pay sales taxes directly to the State to file for refunds. The Comptroller contends that Fleming should have sought a refund from its vendors or that Fleming should have obtained assignments of refund rights from its vendors on a timely basis and then proceeded to request refunds from the State as an assignee.
The assignments to Fleming from vendors fall into three categories: (1) assignments made less than four years after the sales, to Fleming occurred, (2) assignments made more than four years after the sales to Fleming but within the limitations period as extended by the agreements with the Comptroller, and (3) assignments made more than four years after the sales to Fleming and after the expiration of the extended limitations periods, but within six months after the deficiency determination became final. The Comptroller does not dispute that the assignments in the first category permitted Fleming to seek refunds, and the Comptroller has in fact made refunds with respect to those assignments. The State takes issue with the last two categories of assignments. The State contends that the refund rights of Fleming’s vendors were barred by limitations at the time of the assignments and that the extension agreements cannot revive those barred claims since Fleming, as assignee, took the assignments subject to all defenses the State would have.
Fleming contends that none of the assignments were necessary because the Tax Code permits taxpayers, including indirect taxpayers, to seek refunds from the State. If that is so, then the extension agreements between Fleming and the Comptroller were effective to extend the time within which Fleming could file for refunds, and none of Fleming’s refund claims are barred by limitations.
The resolution of this case turns on the proper construction of the Tax Code and who may file with the State for refunds. The express language of the Code supports Fleming’s position, as the court of appeals observed. See 951 S.W.2d at 281. Section 111.104 clearly and unambiguously allows Fleming to file for refunds of sales taxes even though the tax was collected by a vendor rather than paid directly to the State. Section 111.104 says that “[a] tax refund claim may be filed with the comptroller by the person who paid the tax.”[*281] Tex. Tax Code § 111.104(b). There is no question that Fleming is the “person who paid the tax.” The Tax Code contemplates that vendors collect the tax from taxpayers such as Fleming and that the vendors hold those taxes in trust for the benefit of the State until they are remitted to the State. See id. § 111.016. Section 111.104 of the Tax Code also says that if a tax has been unlawfully or erroneously collected, then the Comptroller shall make a refund to “the taxpayer.” Id. § 111.104(a). The term “taxpayer” is defined by the Code as “a person liable for a tax imposed by this title.” Id. § 101.008(8). Again, there is no question that Fleming is a person liable for sales taxes imposed by the Tax Code. And section 111.104, which directs the Comptroller to make refunds to the taxpayer, expressly applies “to all taxes and license fees collected or administered by the comptroller,” with certain exceptions that are not relevant here. Id. § 111.104(e). The sales taxes paid by Fleming are taxes administered by the Comptroller.
Another section of the Tax Code also indicates that a taxpayer such as Fleming may file for a refund from the State. Section 111.107 says that “[a] person may request a refund or a credit or the comptroller may make a refund or issue a credit for the overpayment of a tax imposed by this title at any time before the expiration of the period during which the comptroller may assess a deficiency for the tax.” Id. 111.107(a). Fleming is “a person” under the Tax Code. See id. § 111.104(f) (recognizing that a taxpayer such as Fleming is a “person” from whom another “person,” such as one of Fleming’s vendors, collects taxes).
The court of appeals held, however, that the clear, unambiguous language of these statutes was rendered uncertain by their legislative history. 951 S.W.2d at 281. The statute that preceded Tax Code section 111.104, former article 1.11A, [2] provided that a refund claim could be filed by any person who paid sales taxes “directly to the state.” [3] The codification of former article 1.11A was part of the Legislature’s ongoing codification of our statutes. The 1981 enactment that resulted in section 111.104 stated that “[t]his Act is intended as a recodification only, and no substantive change in the law is intended by this Act.” [4] The court of appeals accordingly concluded that, notwithstanding what it thought was clear language in the Tax Code that allowed Fleming to seek a refund, the former statute governed. 951 S.W.2d at 282. The court of appeals held that because Fleming did not pay taxes “directly to the state,” it did not have standing to seek a refund. Id.
The court of appeals was also swayed by one of the Comptroller’s regulations. See id. at 281. When former article 1.11A was still in effect, the Comptroller promulgated rules based on the language in article 1.11A(3) that said that any person who paid sales taxes “directly to the state” could file for a refund. See 34 Tex. Admin. Code § 3.325. Section 3.325(b) of the Comptroller’s rules provided that a person who paid tax to a seller rather than directly to the State could not request a refund from the Comptroller but must recover the tax from the seller. [5] Section 3.325(b) remained substantially unchanged after the[*282] enactment of section 111.104 of the Tax Code.
The court of appeals concluded that the doctrine of legislative acceptance applies to section 111.104 because the Comptroller had construed former article 1.11A by promulgating section 3.325(b) of its administrative rules and because the Legislature subsequently amended article 1.11A many times without changing the law with regard to who had standing to seek a refund from the State. See 951 S.W.2d at 281-82. This series of events indicated to the court of appeals that the Legislature had accepted the Comptroller’s interpretation of former article 1.11A. Id. The court of appeals observed in a footnote that the Legislature has amended section 111.104 since 1981 but has not addressed the issue of who may file for a refund from the State. See 951 S.W.2d at 282 & n. 5.
The doctrine of legislative acceptance contemplates that “ ‘[a] statute of doubtful meaning that has been construed by the proper administrative officers, when re-enacted without any substantial change in verbiage, will ordinarily receive the same construction.’ ” Sharp v. House of Lloyd, Inc., 815 S.W.2d 245, 248 (Tex.1991) (alteration in original) (quoting Humble Oil & Ref. Co. v. Calvert, 414 S.W.2d 172, 180 (Tex.1967)). We note at the outset that there is an internal conflict within the Comptroller’s current administrative rules. Although section 3.325(b) says that indirect taxpayers should seek refunds from their vendors and not the State, another section of the Comptroller’s rules now closely tracks section 111.104 of the Tax Code. Section 1.5(c) of the Comptroller’s rules provides that “a taxpayer may request a refund” within the time provided by section 111.104(c) of the Tax Code and is entitled to a hearing. 34 Tex. Admin. Code § 1.5(c). As we have seen, the Tax Code defines “taxpayer” as one who is liable for the tax, and that would include indirect taxpayers.
But aside from the Comptroller’s conflicting administrative rules, the doctrine of legislative acceptance does not apply to section 111.104 of the Tax Code because when former article 1.11A(3) was codified in section 111.104, there was a substantial change in verbiage. The language used in section 111.104 is notably different from the language of 1.11A(3). The words “directly to the state” do not appear in section 111.104. Nor does the concept of payment directly to the State appear in section 111.104. To the contrary, section 111.104 says that “[a] tax refund claim may be filed with the comptroller by the person who paid the tax,” Tex. Tax Code § 111.104(b), and that the Comptroller must refund overcollections to “the taxpayer from whom the amount was collected,” id. § 111.104(a).
Another element of the legislative acceptance doctrine is that the statute at issue must be ambiguous. See Calvert, 414 S.W.2d at 180. Under the doctrine of legislative acceptance, an administrative agency’s construction of a statute cannot contradict the statute’s plain meaning. Moreover, the Tax Code expressly provides that the Comptroller is only authorized to promulgate rules that do not conflict with the tax statutes. See Tex. Tax Code § 111.002. And we have held that an agency’s construction of a statute may be considered only if it is reasonable and not inconsistent with the statute. See Tarrant Appraisal Dist. v. Moore, 845 S.W.2d 820, 823 (Tex.1993). Section 3.325(b) of the Comptroller’s regulations directly contradicts the plain meaning of section 111.104 to the extent that the statute generically allows taxpayers to seek refunds but the regulation allows only direct taxpayers to seek refunds. The doctrine of legislative acceptance does not apply here, and the Comptroller’s interpretation of sections 111.104 and 111.107 is not entitled to any deference.
We next consider the Comptroller’s contention that we must give full effect to the Legislature’s stated intent that its re-codification of former statutes as portions of[*283] the current Tax Code would leave existing law unchanged.
Ill
For more than thirty years, our statutes have undergone a continuing process of codification and in some instances recodifi-cation. In 1968, the Legislature charged the Texas Legislative Council with the task of planning and executing a permanent statutory revision program to “clarify and simplify the statutes and to make the statutes more accessible, understandable, and usable.” Tex. Gov’t Code § 323.007(a). The Legislature directed, however, that “the council may not alter the sense, meaning, or effect of [a] statute.” Id. § 323.007(b).
In promulgating the Tax Code, the Legislature said that “[t]his Act is intended as a recodification only, and no substantive change in the law is intended by this Act.” [6] Section 101.001 of the Code also states that Title 2, which includes sections 111.104 and 111.107, was “enacted as a part of the state’s continuing statutory revision program, begun by the Texas Legislative Council in 1963 ... [and] contemplates a topic-by-topic revision of the state’s general and permanent statute law without substantive change.” Tex. Tax Code § 101.001(a). Other objectives stated in the Tax Code were to make our tax laws more accessible and understandable and to restate the law “in modern American English to the greatest extent possible.” Id. § 101.001(b).
Notwithstanding the Legislature’s stated intent and its directives to the Legislative Council, sections 111.104 and 111.107 of the Tax Code would be a change in the prior law if given effect as they are written. As we have seen, the statute that generally governed refunds of sales and use taxes prior to the codification of the Tax Code was former article 1.11A. [7] Under former article 1.11A and one of the Comp-trailer's longstanding regulations under it, Fleming would not have been authorized to file for a refund because it did not pay taxes “directly to the state.” See id.; 4 Tex. Reg. 1105 (1979) (amended 1982,1984, 1987) (current version at 34 Tex. Admin. Code § 3.325(b) (1998)). In contrast, section 111.104 omits the phrase “directly to the state” and says that a claim for refund may be filed by “the person who paid the tax.” Tex. Tax Code § 111.104(b). Section 111.107 likewise says that “[a] person may request a refund” within certain time limits. Id. § 111.107(a). And, “[a] person claiming a refund under Section 111.104 of this code is entitled to a hearing on the claim.” Id. § 111.105. The concept that the person who paid the tax may file for a refund is thus expressly set forth in the Tax Code, and that concept is not confined to just one section of the Code that might be read out of context. The Code, as a whole, says that a person, which includes an indirect taxpayer, may file for a refund. Unlike the recodification at issue in Jones v. Fowler, 969 S.W.2d 429 (Tex.1998), in which we held that the words “six months preceding” had the same meaning as the prior law that said “six months immediately preceding,” the changes in wording in the Tax Code at issue in this case would be a substantive departure from prior law.
We are thus faced with a difficult issue. What effect should be given to clear, unambiguous statutes that were drafted by the Legislative Council as part of the codification process but that depart from prior law? Under the Code Construction Act, see Tex. Gov’t Code §§ 311.001-.032, which applies to the Tax Code, see Tex. Tax Code § 101.002, courts may consider prior law, the circumstances under which the law was enacted, and legislative history among other matters to aid them in construing a code provision “whether or not the statute is considered ambiguous on its face,” Tex. Gov’t Code[*284] § 311.023. But prior law and legislative history cannot be used to alter or disregard the express terms of a code provision when its meaning is clear from the code when considered in its entirety, unless there is an error such as a typographical one. Nor can the Code Construction Act’s directive to the Legislative Council to refrain from changing the sense, meaning, or effect of a previous statute, see id. § 323.007(b), be used as a basis to alter the express terms of a code that the Legislature enacts as law, even when the Council’s language does change the prior, repealed law.
It is a cardinal rule of statutory construction that we are to give effect to the intent of the Legislature. See Mitchell Energy Corp. v. Ashworth, 943 S.W.2d 436, 438 (Tex.1997). But general statements by the Legislature in enacting the Tax Code that “no substantive change in the law is intended” [8] must be considered with the clear, specific language used in sections 111.104 and 111.107. To the extent that these latter sections of the Tax Code do change prior law, the specific import of their words as written must be given effect. These specific, unambiguous statutes are the current law and should not be construed by a court to mean something other than the plain words say unless there is an obvious error such as a typographical one that resulted in the omission of a word, see City of Amarillo v. Martin, 971 S.W.2d 426, 428 n. 1 (Tex.1998), or application of the literal language of a legislative enactment would produce an absurd result, see id. (citing Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. v. Glyn-Jones, 878 S.W.2d 132, 135 (Tex.1994) (Hecht, J., concurring)).
In adopting sections 111.104 and 111.107 of the Tax Code, the Legislature expressly repealed article 1.11A. The former statute ceased to exist. This Court had occasion to consider the effect of a codification on prior law in American Indemnity Co. v. City of Austin, 112 Tex. 239, 246 S.W. 1019 (1922), although in a somewhat different context. In American Indemnity, a prior law was unconstitutional because the caption of the bill enacting it did not include an adequate description. See id. at 1021. In holding that a subsequent re-enactment of the same provision supplanted the prior, unconstitutional law and that the subsequent enactment was constitutional, the Court observed that the new law, not the old, governs:
[T]he general rule ... is that such Codes are not mere compilations of laws previously existing, but bodies of laws so enacted that laws previously existing and omitted therefrom cease to exist, and such additions as appear therein are the law from the approval of the act adopting the Code.
Chief Justice Cureton, writing for the Court in American Indemnity, explained that the citizens of Texas must be able to look with confidence to existing law as written. He concluded that the contention that the prior law should control “is not to be seriously considered.” Id. at 1025. “The law to be just and effective must be accessible and certain.” Id.
Amici, who are ten members of the 79th Legislature, argue that when a mistake is made and a substantive change occurs in the codification process even though no substantive change was intended by the Legislature, the old law should apply. Otherwise, amici contend, the entire non-substantive recodification program will be impaired. Although we are sympathetic to these concerns, we respectfully disagree with the conclusion that the recodification program will be jeopardized if courts construe clear, unambiguous code provisions as they are written. Far more harm would occur if we were to hold that prior, repealed law overrides a subsequent, unambiguous codification. Such a holding would mean that no provision in a codification that supersedes prior law, no matter[*285] how clear the new law, could be relied upon by the citizens of Texas. Anyone wanting to know what the law of Texas required would have to consult not only the existing law, but the former, repealed law and then compare the new with the old. That would be a tremendous disservice to the citizens of this State, as so eloquently explained in American Indemnity in an analogous context:
To say that the citizen, in order to know the law by which his rights are to be determined, must go through the many volumes of session laws ... and examine the original acts, including the captions and repealing acts and clauses, is not to be seriously considered.... The session laws are for all practical purposes inaccessible to the average citizen, and the task of searching through them to ascertain the law an insurmountable one.... And yet, unless the Revised Statutes constitute the law — are the law — citizens and courts alike will be compelled to seek it in the Session Acts of the Legislature.
But the Revised Statutes, as we have seen, are the law, and are to be looked to with safety and confidence by the citizen.... The Revised Statutes of this state, when once adopted, become the entire law on the subjects they purport to cover....
Id. at 1025. The authors of the interpretive commentary to Article III, Section 48 of our Texas Constitution cite American Indemnity, and paraphrasing the foregoing passage, say: “When adopted, the provisions of the revision become the entire law on the subjects they purport to cover, unless specifically excepted, and are to be looked to with safety and confidence by the citizen.”
As already noted, the Legislature did not except former article 1.11A from repeal and replacement by provisions of the Tax Code. Although the Legislature stated that no substantive change was intended, it did not leave article 1.11A in place and direct that if the Code conflicted, then article 1.11A governed. The current law of Texas on the matters formerly governed by article 1.11A is the Tax Code, including the clear and unambiguous provisions of sections 111.104 and 111.107. Citizens, lawyers who represent them, judges, and members of the Legislature should not be required to research the law that preceded every codification to determine if there had been some change and accordingly whether the prior law rather than the current law prevails. We must be able to accept and to rely upon the words written by the Legislature if they are clear and unambiguous, their meaning is plain when the code in which they appear is read in its entirety, and they do not lead to absurd results.
We note that the Legislature itself appears to have relied on the plain meaning of section 111.104, and not the prior law, when it enacted a substantive amendment to the Tax Code in 1983 that was not part of the codification process. After the 1981 codification of the Tax Code, the Legislature amended section 111.203 and for the first time allowed “a taxpayer” (defined in the Code as “a person liable for a tax,” Tex. Tax Code § 101.003(8)) and the Comptroller to agree not only to extensions of time for assessing a tax but also to extensions of time for filing for refunds. [9] There was no comparable provision for refunds in former article 1.045, [10] the predecessor of[*286] section 111.203. The substantive amendment to section 111.203 in 1983 dovetailed with the express provisions of the 1981 codification that resulted in sections 111.104 and 111.107, which allowed the person who paid the tax, albeit indirectly, to file for refunds. The 1983 amendment would be at odds with former section 1.11A if that repealed law, rather than sections 111.104 and 111.107, were to govern, since former section 1.11A did not allow an indirect taxpayer to request a refund from the Comptroller.
We are compelled to conclude that when, as here, specific provisions of a “nonsubstantive” codification and the code as a whole are direct, unambiguous, and cannot be reconciled with prior law, the codification rather than the prior, repealed statute must be given effect. See State Farm, Mut. Auto. Ins. Co. v. Major, 239 Va. 375, 389 S.E.2d 307, 309 (1990) (holding that the deletion of a word during recodification plainly indicated the legislature’s intent to alter the substantive meaning of the code provision); Roy v. Williams, 382 A.2d 1351, 1354 (Del.1978) (enforcing a code provision as the positive law of the state because the codification process is more than a mere reorganization of existing laws that conform to the substance of their predecessors). In the final analysis, it is the Legislature that adopts codifications, not the Legislative Council, and it is the Legislature that specifically repeals prior enactments. The codifications enacted by the Legislature are the law of this State, not the prior, repealed law. When there is no room to interpret or construe the current law as embodying the old, we must give full effect to the current law. General statements of the Legislature’s intent cannot revive repealed statutes or override the clear meaning of a new, more specific statute. The Tax Code allows Fleming to file for refunds from the State, and that right should be enforced as it was written.
We recognize that in reaching its decision, the court of appeals may have been attempting to give effect to language in one of our decisions indicating that the former law should trump a codification when the codification says that it is intended to be nonsubstantive. See Johnson v. City of Fort Worth, 774 S.W.2d 653 (Tex.1989) (per curiam). We said in Johnson that “[w]hen a conflict exists between a former statute and a revision made pursuant to the legislature’s directive to the Texas Legislative Council to make a non-substantive revision of the statutory law, the former statute will control.” Id. at 654-55. However, that was not the basis for our holding in Johnson. We said in the same paragraph that “we hold that no substantive changes were in fact made.” Id. at 655. We accordingly were not called upon to decide whether the old law controlled over the new. That issue is squarely presented in this case, and upon plenary consideration of the issue, we can only conclude that the current Tax Code must be construed as it is written. It is imperative that the citizens of this State be able to rely on the plain meaning of our laws to determine their rights and responsibilities.
In PRC Kentron, Inc. v. First City Center Associates, II, 762 S.W.2d 279 (Tex.App. — Dallas 1988, writ denied), the court of appeals was called upon to construe a code provision that was part of the codification process. See id. at 285. Although the court of appeals noted that it was the express intent of the Legislature not to change prior law and that the Legislature had restricted the Legislative Council’s authority to make substantive changes, the court of appeals recognized the possibility that the old law may have to give way to the new in some circumstances:
We do not hold that every recodified statute can never be more or less than its predecessor, or that the construction of the former provision always controls the latter. We acknowledge, as Tenant reminds us, that the ordinary citizen ought to be able to determine his rights and responsibilities under a statute from[*287] the text itself without resort to the much less readily accessible session laws.
Id. at 286 (citation omitted).
At least two of our courts of appeals had indicated that if a codification changes prior law, the prior law should govern. See Minton v. Perez, 788 S.W.2d 803, 805 (Tex.App. — San Antonio 1990, orig. proceeding); Bryant v. Metropolitan Transit Authority, 722 S.W.2d 738 (Tex.App. — Houston [14th Dist.] 1986, no writ). However, neither of those cases concerned unambiguous code provisions that could not be reasonably interpreted to mean the same thing as the prior law. In Bryant, the court of appeals said that a statute enacted as part of the codification process is not controlling even if it is “clear on its face” when a change in law would result. Id. at 740. But in that case, the court of appeals found the codification to be ambiguous. Id. In Minton, the court of appeals stated in dicta that a former statute will control a conflicting codification. See Minton, 783 S.W.2d at 805; see also In re Fernandez, 855 F.2d 218, 219-20 & n. 12 (5th Cir.1988)(following Bryant and holding that the prior law governed); City of Murphy v. City of Parker, 932 S.W.2d 479, 483-84 (Tex.1996)(Gonzalez, J., dissenting). To the extent that Bryant and Minton conflict with our holding today, we disapprove of those decisions.
IV
There is no dispute that if, as we have concluded, the Tax Code permits Fleming to seek refunds from the State in its own right and not as an assignee of its vendors, the requests for refunds made by Fleming were timely. The agreements it reached with the Comptroller expressly extended both the time within which the Comptroller could assess deficiencies and the time within which Fleming could file refunds. The Tax Code provides this same mutuality. See Tex. Tax Code § 111.107 (allowing refunds to be filed at any time before the expiration of the period during which the comptroller may assess a deficiency); see also Borden, Inc. v. Sharp, 888 S.W.2d 614, 618-20 (Tex.App. — Austin 1994, writ denied). The Tax Code further extends the time within which a taxpayer may present claims for refunds up to six months after a deficiency determination becomes final. See Tex. Tax Code § 111.104(c)(3); see also id. § 151.505 (explaining that a determination “becomes final on the expiration of 30 days after the day on which the determination was served by personal service or by mail”). The parties do not dispute that all of Fleming’s claims were filed within these time frames.
Because the trial court concluded that Fleming’s claims were time-barred, it did not resolve the merits of Fleming’s claims for refunds. Those issues should be determined by the trial court.
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Because we hold that the Tax Code permits an indirect taxpayer such as Fleming to seek refunds of sales taxes from the State, we reverse the judgment of the court of appeals and remand this case to the trial court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
. During the pendency of Fleming’s appeal before this Court, Carole Keeton Rylander succeeded John Sharp as Texas Comptroller.
. Act of Apr. 5, 1979, 66th Leg., R.S., ch. 59, § 1, art. 1.11A(1), 1979 Tex. Gen. Laws 96, 96, repealed by Act of May 29, 1981, 67th Leg., R.S., ch. 389, § 39, 1981 Tex. Gen. Laws 1490, 1785 [hereinafter former article 1.11 A],
. Id.
. Act of May 29, 1981, 67th Leg., R.S., ch. 389, § 40, 1981 Tex. Gen. Laws 1490, 1787.
.The Comptroller’s administrative rules provide in part:
(b) Tax paid to seller. A person who remits tax to a seller rather than directly to the state may not request from the comptroller a refund of any tax which that person has remitted to a seller but contends was not due. The tax must be recovered from the seller.
34 Tex Admin. Code § 3.325(b).
. Act of May 29, 1981, 67th Leg., R.S., ch. 389, § 40, 1981 Tex. Gen. Laws 1490, 1787.
. See former article 1.11A, supra note 2.
. Act of May 29, 1981, 67th Leg., R.S., ch. 389, § 40, 1981 Tex. Gen. Laws 1490, 1787.
. Section 111.203 provides:
Before the expiration of the periods prescribed in Section!] 111-104 ... of this code for the filing of a refund claim or for the assessment and collection of any tax imposed by this title, the comptroller and a taxpayer may agree in writing to the filing of a refund claim or to an assessment and collection after that time.
. Act of Apr. 16, 1981, 67th Leg., R.S., ch. 102, § 6, 1981 Tex. Gen. Laws 235, 241, repealed by Act of May 29, 1981, 67th Leg., R.S., ch. 389, § 39, 1981 Tex. Gen. Laws 1490, 1785.