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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the annual state salary supplement for a county judge. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 26.006, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 26.006. SALARY SUPPLEMENT FROM STATE FOR [CERTAIN] |
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COUNTY JUDGES. (a) A county judge is entitled to an annual salary |
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supplement from the state in an amount equal to 18 percent of the |
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state base salary paid to a district judge as set by the General |
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Appropriations Act in accordance with Section 659.012(a) [if at |
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least 40 percent of the functions that the judge performs are |
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judicial functions]. |
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(b) [To receive a supplement under Subsection (a), a county |
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judge must file with the comptroller's judiciary section an |
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affidavit stating that at least 40 percent of the functions that the |
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judge performs are judicial functions. |
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[(c)] The commissioners court of [in] a county [with a |
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county judge who is entitled to receive a salary supplement under |
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this section] may not reduce the county funds provided for the |
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salary or office of the county judge as a result of the salary |
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supplement required by this section. |
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SECTION 2. Section 26.007(a), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) Beginning on the first day of the state fiscal year, the |
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state shall annually compensate each county [that collects the |
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additional fees under Section 51.703] in an amount equal to $5,000 |
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for a portion of [if] the county judge's [judge is entitled to an] |
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annual salary supplement from the state under Section 26.006. |
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SECTION 3. Section 26.008(a), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) At the end of each state fiscal year, the comptroller |
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shall determine the amounts deposited in the judicial fund under |
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Section 51.703 and the amounts paid to the counties under Section |
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26.007. If the total amount collected and sent to the comptroller |
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[paid] under Section 51.703 by all counties [that collect fees |
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under that section] exceeds the total amount paid to the counties |
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under Section 26.007, the state shall remit the excess to the |
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counties [that collect fees under Section 51.703] proportionately |
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based on the percentage of the total paid by each county. |
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SECTION 4. The heading to Section 51.703, Government Code, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 51.703. ADDITIONAL FEES IN CONSTITUTIONAL [CERTAIN] |
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COUNTY COURTS. |
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SECTION 5. Section 51.703(a), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) In addition to all other fees authorized or required by |
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other law, the clerk of a constitutional county court [with a judge |
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who is entitled to an annual salary supplement from the state under |
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Section 26.006] shall collect a $40 filing fee in each civil case |
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filed in the court to be used for court-related purposes for the |
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support of the judiciary. |
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SECTION 6. Section 133.004, Local Government Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 133.004. CIVIL FEES. This chapter applies to the |
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following civil fees: |
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(1) the consolidated fee on filing in district court |
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imposed under Section 133.151; |
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(2) the filing fee in district court for basic civil |
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legal services for indigents imposed under Section 133.152; |
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(3) the filing fee in courts other than district court |
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for basic civil legal services for indigents imposed under Section |
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133.153; |
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(4) the filing fees for the judicial fund imposed in |
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[certain] statutory county courts under Section 51.702, Government |
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Code; |
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(5) the filing fees for the judicial fund imposed in |
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constitutional [certain] county courts under Section 51.703, |
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Government Code; |
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(6) the filing fees for the judicial fund imposed in |
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statutory probate courts under Section 51.704, Government Code; |
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(7) fees collected under Section 118.015; |
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(8) marriage license fees for the family trust fund |
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collected under Section 118.018; |
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(9) marriage license or declaration of informal |
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marriage fees for the child abuse and neglect prevention trust fund |
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account collected under Section 118.022; and |
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(10) the filing fee for the judicial fund imposed in a |
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district court, statutory county court, and county court under |
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Section 133.154. |
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SECTION 7. The changes in law made by this Act take effect |
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on the effective date of this Act and apply only to a salary payment |
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for a pay period beginning on or after that date. A salary payment |
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for a pay period beginning before the effective date of this Act is |
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governed by the law in effect on the date the pay period began, and |
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that law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |