By Goodman                                       H.B. No. 356

      75R2004 SAW-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to certain judicial salaries.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 659.012, Government Code, is amended to

 1-5     read as follows:

 1-6           Sec. 659.012.  JUDICIAL SALARIES.  (a)  A justice of the

 1-7     supreme court and a judge of the court of criminal appeals are each

 1-8     entitled to an annual salary equal to the annual salary of a

 1-9     federal magistrate judge.

1-10           (b)  A justice of a court of appeals other than the chief

1-11     justice is entitled to an annual salary from the state that is five

1-12     percent less than the salary provided by the General Appropriations

1-13     Act for a justice of the supreme court.  [The combined salary of a

1-14     justice of the court of appeals other than the chief justice from

1-15     all state and county sources may not exceed the amount that is

1-16     $1,000 less than the salary provided for a justice of the supreme

1-17     court.]

1-18           (c) [(b)]  The chief justice of a court of appeals is

1-19     entitled to an annual salary from the state that is $500 more than

1-20     the salary provided for the other justices of the court of appeals.

1-21     [The combined salary of the chief justice of a court of appeals may

1-22     not exceed the amount that is $500 less than the salary provided

1-23     for a justice of the supreme court.]

1-24           (d) [(c)]  A judge of a district court is entitled to an

 2-1     annual salary from the state that is 10 percent less than the

 2-2     salary provided in the General Appropriations Act for a justice of

 2-3     the supreme court.  [Unless otherwise provided by law, the combined

 2-4     salary of a district judge from state and county sources may not

 2-5     exceed the amount that is $2,000 less than the salary provided for

 2-6     a justice of the supreme court.  To the extent of any conflict, the

 2-7     salary differential provided by this section for the combined

 2-8     salary of a district judge prevails over any differential set by

 2-9     Chapter 32.]

2-10           [(d)  For the purpose of salary payments by the state, the

2-11     comptroller shall determine from sworn statements filed by the

2-12     justices of the courts of appeals and district judges that the

2-13     required salary differentials provided by this section are

2-14     maintained.  If a salary combined with a county supplement would be

2-15     in excess of the differential provided by this section, the

2-16     comptroller shall reduce the state salary by the amount of the

2-17     excess.]

2-18           SECTION 2.  Chapter 31, Government Code, and Subchapter A,

2-19     Chapter 32, Government Code, are repealed.

2-20           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-21           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-22     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-23     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-24     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-25     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.