BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3382

By: Hughes

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties assert that associate judges have a significant caseload and hear some of the most difficult cases, including cases that impact children and families. The parties note that, despite this caseload, associate judges have not received a merit increase for more than a decade and contend that the salary of these judges should be increased to recruit and retain quality judges. C.S.H.B. 3382 seeks to increase the salary of certain associate judges.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3382 amends the Family Code to change the salary an associate judge appointed for a child support case or a child protection case is entitled to receive from the state from an amount determined by a majority vote of the presiding judges of the administrative judicial regions not exceeding 90 percent of the salary paid to a district judge as set by the General Appropriations Act to an amount equal to 90 percent of that district judge salary. The bill establishes that longevity pay paid to such an associate judge under the Government Code is not included as part of the associate judge's salary. The bill authorizes the Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System to use federal funds obtained from the office of the attorney general to cover the costs of the salary of an associate judge appointed to hear a child support case and removes the requirement that such an associate judge's salary be paid from county funds available for payment of officers' salaries or from funds available from the state and federal government.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 3382 differs from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways by conforming to certain bill drafting conventions.