1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the salaries of statutory county court judges.

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

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 25.0005(e), Government Code, is amended

 1-5     to read as follows:

 1-6           (e)  A county is not required to meet the salary requirements

 1-7     of Subsection (a) for a particular court if:

 1-8                 (1)  not later than September 1 of the year in which

 1-9     the county initially begins collecting fees and costs under Section

1-10     51.702, the county increases the salary of each statutory county

1-11     court judge in the county to an amount that is at least $20,000

1-12     more than the salary the judge was entitled to on May 1 of that

1-13     year;

1-14                 (2)  the county pays at least [maintains] the salary

1-15     [at the minimum] required by Subdivision (1);

1-16                 (3)  the county collects the fees and costs as provided

1-17     by Section 51.702;

1-18                 (4)  the court has at least the jurisdiction provided

1-19     by Section 25.0003;  and

1-20                 (5)  except as provided by Subsection (f), the county

1-21     uses at least 50 percent of the amount the county receives each

1-22     state fiscal year under Section 25.0016 for salaries for the

1-23     statutory county court judges.

1-24           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-1     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-2     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-3     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-4     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 2-5     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 2-6     passage, and it is so enacted.

         _______________________________     _______________________________

             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House

               I certify that H.B. No. 1040 was passed by the House on April

         3, 1997, by a non-record vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House

               I certify that H.B. No. 1040 was passed by the Senate on May

         1, 1997, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Secretary of the Senate

         APPROVED:  _____________________

                            Date

                    _____________________

                          Governor