BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3428

By: Krause

County Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, there are some full-time criminal law magistrates in Tarrant County who have never received a raise due to a statutory salary cap. Removing this cap would allow for these magistrates to have regular raises, put the county in line with several other large counties, and allow the county to be competitive in retaining quality magistrates. H.B. 3428 seeks to address this issue by repealing the statute that provides for the salary cap.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 3428 repeals Section 54.653(b), Government Code, which caps the salary of a full-time criminal law magistrate in Tarrant County at an amount equal to 90 percent of the sum of the following:

· the state base salary paid to a district judge as set by the General Appropriations Act; and

· the maximum amount of county contributions and supplements allowed by law to be paid to a district judge.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2021.