By Brown                                         S.B. No. 310

      75R3387 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.  Notwithstanding Section

 1-7     659.011:

 1-8                 (1)  a justice of the supreme court is entitled to an

 1-9     annual salary from the state of $122,912;

1-10                 (2)  a [(a)  A] justice of a court of appeals other

1-11     than the chief justice is entitled to an annual salary from the

1-12     state that is five percent less than the salary provided [by the

1-13     General Appropriations Act] for a justice of the supreme court;

1-14                 (3)  the[.  The combined salary of a justice of the

1-15     court of appeals other than the chief justice from all state and

1-16     county sources may not exceed the amount that is $1,000 less than

1-17     the salary provided for a justice of the supreme court.]

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

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

1-20     provided for the other justices of the court of appeals; and

1-21                 (4)  a[.  The combined salary of the chief justice of a

1-22     court of appeals may not exceed the amount that is $500 less than

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

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

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

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

 2-3     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.