LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
March 15, 1999
TO: Honorable Senfronia Thompson, Chair, House Committee on
Judicial Affairs
FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: HB1123 by Thompson (Relating to the salaries of
statutory county court judges and to the collection of
certain court costs.), As Introduced
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* Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for *
* HB1123, As Introduced: negative impact of $(32,225,800) through *
* the biennium ending August 31, 2001. *
* *
* The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal *
* basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of *
* the bill. *
**************************************************************************
General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:
****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) *
* Impact to General Revenue Related *
* Funds *
* 2000 $(16,112,900) *
* 2001 (16,112,900) *
* 2002 (16,112,900) *
* 2003 (16,112,900) *
* 2004 (16,112,900) *
****************************************************
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
*****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Savings/(Cost) from *
* General Revenue Fund *
* 0001 *
* 2000 $(16,112,900) *
* 2001 (16,112,900) *
* 2002 (16,112,900) *
* 2003 (16,112,900) *
* 2004 (16,112,900) *
*****************************************************
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would amend Chapters 25 and 51 of the Government Code to require
a county commissioners court to set the annual salary of a statutory
county court judge in an amount at least equal to the amount that is
$1,000 less than the total annual salary of a district judge in the
county. No county would be exempt from this salary provision. Further,
the bill would require the state to annually compensate counties for the
salary of each statutory county court judge. The salary provisions of
the bill would take effect on October 1, 1999 and would apply to a
salary payment made on or after that date.
Methodology
Currently, the state compensates counties in the amount of $25,000
annually as a partial salary supplement for 149 statutory county judges.
The bill would raise the level of state compensation to $100,700
annually, resulting in an increase of $75,700 in the level of state
compensation.
There are an additional 48 statutory county and statutory probate court
judges who would be eligible under the provisions of the bill. The state
would have a new obligation for compensation to the counties in the
amount of $100,700 for these judges.
The bill does not specify that the state would be responsible for
benefits such as social security and retirement matching. If the bill
is interpreted to include such benefits, the additional cost to the
state would be approximately $5,000,000 per year.
Local Government Impact
The counties would be impacted positively by varying degrees to the
extent that the counties would no longer have to absorb the salary of
the statutory county court and county probate judges.
Source Agencies:
LBB Staff: JK, PE, DG