LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 79TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

March 30, 2005

TO:	Honorable Will Hartnett, Chair, House Committee on Judiciary
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB1686 by Oliveira (Relating to the compensation of presiding judges of administrative judicial regions.), As Introduced

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

Local Government Impact

The bill would amend Chapter 74 of the Government Code relating to the compensation of presiding judges of the nine administrative judicial regions.  Currently, salaries range from $23,000 to $40,000 per year and are set biennially by the Texas Judicial Council for the nine presiding judges. The salary set by the Council is apportioned to each county based on the county's population and the salaries are paid through the county budget process.  Under the bill, the salaries would range from $33,000 to $50,000 per year.  Accordingly, the maximum increase in costs to counties under the bill would be a $10,000 salary increase for each of the nine presiding judges, or $90,000 per year beginning in fiscal year 2006.

This estimate assumes the bill would take effect September 1, 2005, rather than September 1, 2003.  The bill as written would make the effective date of the bill retroactive to September 1, 2003.

Source Agencies:

212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts

LBB Staff:

JOB, LB, ZS, TB, KJG