LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                                   Austin, Texas
         
                                   FISCAL NOTE
                               75th Regular Session
         
                                  March 4, 1997
         
         
      TO: Honorable Senfronia Thompson, Chair            IN RE:  House Bill No. 518, Committee Report 1st House, as amended
          Committee on Judicial Affairs                              By: Thompson
          House
          Austin, Texas
         
         
         
         
         FROM:  John Keel, Director    
         
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB518 ( relating 
to the creation of a judicial compensation commission.) this 
office has detemined the following:
         
         Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB518-Committee Report 1st House, as amended
         
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
         

         
 
Fiscal Analysis

The bill would establish the Judicial Compensation 
Commission, comprised of nine members appointed by the governor 
with the advice and consent of the Senate.  The bill provides 
that the commission will recommend salaries to be paid by the 
state for all justices and judges of the Supreme Court, Court 
of Criminal Appeals, Courts of Appeals and the district courts. 
 These recommendations will be made by the commission in a biennial 
report to the Legislature.  If neither house of the Legislature, 
by a majority vote, rejects the recommendations within 180 days 
of the date the report is delivered, the recommendations have 
the full force of law.  The commission members would not receive 
compensation for their service but would receive actual and 
reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. 
 The Office of Court Administration will provide administrative 
support for the commission.  In addition to the costs of expenses 
incurred by the commission, there will be an increase in costs 
to the state for all recommendations implemented by the commission.

The 
bill would repeal Section 659.012 of the Government Code which 
currently sets the salary differentials for the Supreme Court, 
Court of Criminal Appeals, appellate courts and district courts. 
 The Act takes effect on the date on which the constitutional 
amendment proposed by HJR 49, 75th Legislature, Regular Session 
1997 takes effect.

Methodology

The Commission on Judicial 
Efficiency and the Office of Court Administration estimate the 
cost of administrative support from the Office of Court Administration 
at $2,000 annually and expenses for the nine Judicial Compensation 
Commission members at $800 each or $7,200 annually. 
          
There would be no cost to local units of government for the 
creation and operation of the commission.  However, it is expected 
that local governmental entities will be impacted by any recommendation 
that resulted in increased salaries for district court judges 
since various local judges' salaries are currently determined 
using the district judge's salary as a standard.
          
   Source:            Agencies:   
                                         
                      LBB Staff:   JK ,PE ,DC