By:  Montford                                         S.B. No. 1248
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to the salaries of certain justices and judges.
    1-2        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-3        SECTION 1.  Section 659.012, Government Code, is amended to
    1-4  read as follows:
    1-5        Sec. 659.012.  JUDICIAL SALARIES.  (a)  A justice of the
    1-6  supreme court other than the chief justice and a judge of the court
    1-7  of criminal appeals other than the presiding judge are each
    1-8  entitled to an annual salary from the state that is at least equal
    1-9  to the amount that is 66.82145 percent of the annual salary
   1-10  received by a judge of a United States court of appeals.  The chief
   1-11  justice of the supreme court and the presiding judge of the court
   1-12  of criminal appeals are each entitled to an annual salary from the
   1-13  state that is 2.94024 percent more than the salary provided for the
   1-14  other justices and judges of the supreme court and the court of
   1-15  criminal appeals.
   1-16        (b)  A justice of a court of appeals other than the chief
   1-17  justice is entitled to an annual salary from the state that is five
   1-18  percent less than the salary provided by the General Appropriations
   1-19  Act for a justice of the supreme court.  The combined salary of a
   1-20  justice of the court of appeals other than the chief justice from
   1-21  all state and county sources may not exceed the amount that is
   1-22  $1,000 less than the salary provided for a justice of the supreme
   1-23  court.
    2-1        (c) <(b)>  The chief justice of a court of appeals is
    2-2  entitled to an annual salary from the state that is $500 more than
    2-3  the salary provided for the other justices of the court of appeals.
    2-4  The combined salary of the chief justice of a court of appeals may
    2-5  not exceed the amount that is $500 less than the salary provided
    2-6  for a justice of the supreme court.
    2-7        (d) <(c)>  A judge of a district court is entitled to an
    2-8  annual salary from the state that is 10 percent less than the
    2-9  salary provided in the General Appropriations Act for a justice of
   2-10  the supreme court.  Unless otherwise provided by law, the combined
   2-11  salary of a district judge from state and county sources may not
   2-12  exceed the amount that is $2,000 less than the salary provided for
   2-13  a justice of the supreme court.  To the extent of any conflict, the
   2-14  salary differential provided by this section for the combined
   2-15  salary of a district judge prevails over any differential set by
   2-16  Chapter 32.
   2-17        (e) <(d)>  For the purpose of salary payments by the state,
   2-18  the comptroller shall determine from sworn statements filed by the
   2-19  justices of the courts of appeals and district judges that the
   2-20  required salary differentials provided by this section are
   2-21  maintained.  If a salary combined with a county supplement would be
   2-22  in excess of the differential provided by this section, the
   2-23  comptroller shall reduce the state salary by the amount of the
   2-24  excess.
   2-25        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
    3-1        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    3-2  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    3-3  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    3-4  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    3-5  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.