LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                                   Austin, Texas
         
                                   FISCAL NOTE
                               75th Regular Session
         
                                  February 18, 1997
         
         
      TO: Honorable Bill Ratliff, Chair            IN RE:  Senate Bill No. 328, Committee Report 1st House
          Committee on Finance                              By: Brown
          Senate
          Austin, Texas
         
         
         
         
         FROM:  John Keel, Director    
         
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on SB328 ( relating 
to the creation of a judicial compensation commission) this 
office has detemined the following:
         
         Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by SB328-Committee Report 1st House
         
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
         
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal 
basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions 
of the bill.
         
 
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 day on which the report is delivered, they 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 court and district 
courts.  The act takes effect on the date on which the constitutional 
amendment proposed by SJR 20, 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 
1997, takes effect.

METHODOLOGY
The Office of Court Administration 
estimates the cost of administrative support at $2,000 annually. 
 Expenses for nine Judicial Compensation Commission members 
are expected to be approximately $800 per commission member 
or $7,200 annually.

Similar annual fiscal implications would 
continue as long as the provisions of the bill are in effect.
          
LOCAL
There would be no cost to local units of government for 
the creation and operation of the commission. However,  it is 
projected that local governmental entities could be impacted 
by any recommendation that resulted in an increase in district 
court judges' salaries since various local judges' salaries 
are currently determined using the district judge's salary as 
a standard.  
          
   Source:            Agencies:   
                                         
                      LBB Staff:   JK ,RR ,DC