By: Wentworth  S.B. No. 1519
         (In the Senate - Filed March 8, 2007; March 20, 2007, read
  first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence;
  April 10, 2007, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
  Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 5, Nays 0; April 10, 2007,
  sent to printer.)
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1519 By:  Wentworth
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to longevity pay for certain state judges and justices.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 659.042, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 659.042.  EXCLUSIONS. The following are not entitled
  to longevity pay under this subchapter:
               (1)  a member of the legislature;
               (2)  an individual who holds a statewide office that is
  normally filled by vote of the people, except as provided by Section
  659.0445;
               (3)  an independent contractor or an employee of an
  independent contractor;
               (4)  a temporary employee;
               (5)  an officer or employee of a public junior college;
               (6)  an academic employee of a state institution of
  higher education; or
               (7)  a state employee who retired from state employment
  on or after June 1, 2005, and who receives an annuity based wholly
  or partly on service as a state officer or state employee in a
  public retirement system, as defined by Section 802.001, that was
  credited to the state employee.
         SECTION 2.  Subsection (a), Section 659.044, Government
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  Except as provided by Subsections (e) and (f) and
  Section 659.0445, the monthly amount of longevity pay is $20 for
  every two years of lifetime service credit.
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter D, Chapter 659, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 659.0445 to read as follows:
         Sec. 659.0445.  LONGEVITY PAY FOR STATE JUDGES AND JUSTICES.
  (a)  A judge or justice who receives a salary paid by the state, is
  a member of the Judicial Retirement System of Texas Plan One or the
  Judicial Retirement System of Texas Plan Two, and is an active
  judge, as defined by Section 74.041, is entitled to longevity pay as
  provided by this section.
         (b)  The monthly amount of longevity pay under this section
  to which a judge or justice described by Subsection (a) is entitled:
               (1)  is $20 for each year of service credited in the
  applicable retirement system, subject to Subsection (c); and
               (2)  is calculated and becomes payable beginning with
  the month following the month in which the judge or justice
  completes 16 years of service for which credit is established in the
  applicable retirement system.
         (c)  A judge or justice may not receive longevity pay for
  more than 16 years of service credited in the applicable retirement
  system.
         SECTION 4.  Subsection (a), Section 814.103, Government
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b), the standard
  service retirement annuity for service credited in the elected
  class of membership is an amount equal to the number of years of
  service credit in that class, times two percent of the state salary,
  excluding longevity pay payable under Section 659.0445 and as
  adjusted from time to time, being paid a district judge.
         SECTION 5.  Section 831.001, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subdivision (6-a) to read as follows:
               (6-a)  "State salary" does not include the amount of
  any longevity pay payable under Section 659.0445.
         SECTION 6.  Section 836.001, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subdivision (9-a) to read as follows:
               (9-a)  "State salary" does not include the amount of
  any longevity pay payable under Section 659.0445.
         SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
 
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