baa H.J.R. 49 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS JUDICIAL AFFAIRS H.J.R. 49 By: Thompson 2-26-97 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND The Commission on Judicial Efficiency, created by the Texas Legislature in 1995, studied several areas related to improving the Texas judiciary. Among the subjects studied by the commission was the issue of judicial compensation. The Commission found that the compensation of judges in Texas lagged behind those of judges in other states, the federal judiciary and salaries in the private sector. The commission recommended the establishment of a judicial compensation commission, which would be an independent body charged exclusively with the responsibility of setting judicial wages and that the recommendations be binding if not rejected by either house of the legislature in a specified time. PURPOSE The purpose of this proposed constitutional amendment is to allow the legislature to create a judicial compensation commission which could make binding recommendations on judicial salaries, unless those recommendations are rejected by either house of the legislature. 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. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1 adds a new Section 32 to Article V of the Texas Constitution. It authorizes the Legislature to create a judicial compensation commission to make binding recommendations on judicial salaries, unless those recommendations are rejected by either house of the legislature. SECTION 2. Ballot date. Ballot wording.