1-1  By:  Montford                                         S.B. No. 1248
    1-2        (In the Senate - Filed March 10, 1995; March 16, 1995, read
    1-3  first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence;
    1-4  April 26, 1995, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 6,
    1-5  Nays 0; April 26, 1995, sent to printer.)
    1-6                         A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-7                                AN ACT
    1-8  relating to the salaries of certain justices and judges.
    1-9        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
   1-10        SECTION 1.  Section 659.012, Government Code, is amended to
   1-11  read as follows:
   1-12        Sec. 659.012.  JUDICIAL SALARIES.  (a)  A justice of the
   1-13  supreme court other than the chief justice and a judge of the court
   1-14  of criminal appeals other than the presiding judge are each
   1-15  entitled to an annual salary from the state that is at least equal
   1-16  to the amount that is 66.82145 percent of the annual salary
   1-17  received by a judge of a United States court of appeals.  The chief
   1-18  justice of the supreme court and the presiding judge of the court
   1-19  of criminal appeals are each entitled to an annual salary from the
   1-20  state that is 2.94024 percent more than the salary provided for the
   1-21  other justices and judges of the supreme court and the court of
   1-22  criminal appeals.
   1-23        (b)  A justice of a court of appeals other than the chief
   1-24  justice is entitled to an annual salary from the state that is five
   1-25  percent less than the salary provided by the General Appropriations
   1-26  Act for a justice of the supreme court.  The combined salary of a
   1-27  justice of the court of appeals other than the chief justice from
   1-28  all state and county sources may not exceed the amount that is
   1-29  $1,000 less than the salary provided for a justice of the supreme
   1-30  court.
   1-31        (c) <(b)>  The chief justice of a court of appeals is
   1-32  entitled to an annual salary from the state that is $500 more than
   1-33  the salary provided for the other justices of the court of appeals.
   1-34  The combined salary of the chief justice of a court of appeals may
   1-35  not exceed the amount that is $500 less than the salary provided
   1-36  for a justice of the supreme court.
   1-37        (d) <(c)>  A judge of a district court is entitled to an
   1-38  annual salary from the state that is 10 percent less than the
   1-39  salary provided in the General Appropriations Act for a justice of
   1-40  the supreme court.  Unless otherwise provided by law, the combined
   1-41  salary of a district judge from state and county sources may not
   1-42  exceed the amount that is $2,000 less than the salary provided for
   1-43  a justice of the supreme court.  To the extent of any conflict, the
   1-44  salary differential provided by this section for the combined
   1-45  salary of a district judge prevails over any differential set by
   1-46  Chapter 32.
   1-47        (e) <(d)>  For the purpose of salary payments by the state,
   1-48  the comptroller shall determine from sworn statements filed by the
   1-49  justices of the courts of appeals and district judges that the
   1-50  required salary differentials provided by this section are
   1-51  maintained.  If a salary combined with a county supplement would be
   1-52  in excess of the differential provided by this section, the
   1-53  comptroller shall reduce the state salary by the amount of the
   1-54  excess.
   1-55        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   1-56        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-57  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-58  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-59  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-60  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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