Honorable Victoria Neave Criado, Chair, House Committee on County Affairs
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB2723 by Dean (Relating to the annual state salary supplement for certain county judges.), As Introduced
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB2723, As Introduced : a negative impact of ($1,320,000) through the biennium ending August 31, 2025.
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.
General Revenue-Related Funds, Five- Year Impact:
Fiscal Year
Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2024
($660,000)
2025
($660,000)
2026
($660,000)
2027
($660,000)
2028
($660,000)
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
Fiscal Year
Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
2024
($660,000)
2025
($660,000)
2026
($660,000)
2027
($660,000)
2028
($660,000)
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would amend the Government Code to increase the county supplement paid to certain constitutional county judges to allow a constitutional county judge entitled to an annual salary supplement from the state to receive the district judge salary enhancements based on years of services as a county judge. The bill would allow the state supplement to increase after four and eight years of service as a constitutional county judge.
Methodology
State judicial compensation is traditionally met through a mix of General Revenue and Judicial Fund No. 573 funding, however for the past several fiscal years Judicial Fund No. 573 revenues have not been sufficient to meet all judicial salary obligations. Due to this, General Revenue funding has been used to meet the remaining obligations. Therefore, this estimate assumes General Revenue funding would be needed to cover the full state obligations for these provisions.
Under current law, a constitutional county judge is entitled to an annual salary supplement from the state equal to 18.0 percent of the base salary of a district judge (currently set at $140,000) if at least 18.0 percent of the functions that the judge performs, or 18.0 percent of the total hours the judge works, are judicial functions.
The table above reflects an anticipated salary supplement cost increase each fiscal year for constitutional county judges that would be credited for an additional four and eight years of service under the provisions of the bill based on the analysis of the Comptroller of Public Accounts (Comptroller's Department Judiciary Section).
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts