79R5879 YDB-D

By:  Hope                                                         H.B. No. 1279



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the compensation of official court reporters for 
statutory county courts in Montgomery County.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter E, Chapter 52, Government Code, is 
amended by adding Section 52.0531 to read as follows:
	Sec. 52.0531.  COMPENSATION OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY OFFICIAL 
COURT REPORTER.  (a)  An official court reporter for a statutory 
county court in Montgomery County shall be paid a salary set by the 
order of the judge of the court the reporter serves.  This salary is 
in addition to transcript fees, fees for a statement of facts, and 
other necessary expenses authorized by law.
	(b)  An order increasing the salary of an official court 
reporter for a statutory county court in Montgomery County must be 
submitted to the Commissioners Court of Montgomery County not later 
than September 1 immediately before the adoption of the county 
budget for the next year.  The commissioners court may allow an 
extension of this time limit.
	(c)  The official court reporter for a statutory county court 
in Montgomery County may not receive a salary that is more than 10 
percent greater than the salary received during the preceding 
budget year without the approval of the Commissioners Court of 
Montgomery County.
	(d)  A person appointed to succeed an official court reporter 
for a statutory county court may not receive a salary greater than 
the salary received by the person's predecessor in office.
	SECTION 2.  The changes in law made by this Act by adding 
Section 52.0531, Government Code, apply only to the salary of an 
official court reporter for a statutory county court in Montgomery 
County set on or after the effective date of this Act.
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.