BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 1686
79R11117 RJA-D By: Oliveira (Wentworth)
AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Currently, Section 74.051(b), Government Code, states that a presiding judge may earn a maximum of $23,000 per year, set biennially by the Texas Judicial Council. Certain presiding judges may earn a higher salary under Section 74.051(c), Government Code, depending on the number of judges and courts in the region. The salary of the presiding judge is paid by the counties located in the judge's administrative judicial region.
H.B. 1686 increases the salary of a presiding judge to a maximum of $33,000 per year. A presiding judge who meets the requirements of Section 74.051(c), Government Code, receives a salary increase of $10,000 per year.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Sections 74.051(b) and (c), Government Code, as follows:
(b) Requires a presiding judge, except as provided by Subsection (c), to receive a salary not to exceed $33,000, rather than $23,000 a year.
(c) Amends the salary schedule to increase the annual salary a presiding judge (of an administrative judicial region) who is a retired or former district judge or a retired appellate judge and who presides over an administrative region with 30 or more districts courts, statutory county courts, and retired and former judges named on the list maintained under Section 74.005 (List of Retired and Former Judges Subject to Assignment) for the administrative region.
SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2005.