By: Wentworth  S.B. No. 821
         (In the Senate - Filed February 22, 2007; March 7, 2007,
  read first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence;
  March 29, 2007, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 5,
  Nays 0; March 29, 2007, sent to printer.)
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the use of certain excess contributions to the judicial
  fund that are remitted to certain counties.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subsection (b), Section 25.00213, Government
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         (b)  Money in a contributions fund created under this section
  may be used only for court-related purposes for the support of the
  statutory probate courts in the county, including for the payment
  of the compensation of a statutory probate court associate judge in
  accordance with Section 54.605.
         SECTION 2.  Section 54.605, Government Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (c) to read as
  follows:
         (b)  Except as provided by Subsection (c), the [The]
  compensation of the associate judge shall be paid by the county from
  the county general fund. The compensation must be paid in the same
  manner that the appointing judge's salary is paid.
         (c)  On the recommendation of the statutory probate court
  judges in the county and subject to the approval of the county
  commissioners court, the county may pay all or part of the
  compensation of the associate judge from the excess contributions
  remitted to the county under Section 25.00212 and deposited in the
  contributions fund created under Section 25.00213.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
 
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