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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a grant program to provide salary assistance for |
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judicial and court personnel in rural counties. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 130, Local Government |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 130.914 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 130.914. RURAL JUDICIAL AND COURT PERSONNEL SALARY |
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ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Grant" means a grant the comptroller awards under |
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the rural judicial and court personnel salary assistance grant |
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program established by this section. |
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(2) "Qualified county" means a county with a |
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population of 300,000 or less. |
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(3) "Office" means the Office of Court Administration. |
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(b) The comptroller in collaboration with the Office shall |
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establish and administer the rural judicial and court personnel |
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salary assistance grant program to support the state purpose of |
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ensuring courts operate effectively and efficiently across this |
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state by providing funds for salary assistance and retention |
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incentives for judicial and court personnel in qualified counties. |
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(c) Not later than the 30th day after the first day of a |
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qualified county's fiscal year, the county may submit a grant |
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application to the comptroller. A county may submit only one grant |
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application each fiscal year. |
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(d) The comptroller and the Office shall determine whether |
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to award a grant to a qualified county applicant. |
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(e) The comptroller in collaboration with the Office shall |
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adopt rules necessary to implement this section, including rules to |
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establish: |
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(1) a standardized application process, including the |
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grant application form and the manner of submitting the form; |
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(2) deadlines for: |
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(A) applying for the grant; |
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(B) disbursing grant money; and |
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(C) spending grant money; and |
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(3) procedures for: |
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(A) monitoring the disbursement of grant money to |
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ensure compliance with this section; and |
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(B) the return of grant money a county uses for a |
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purpose not authorized by this section. |
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SECTION 2. A qualified county, as defined by Section |
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130.914, Local Government Code, as added by this Act, may not apply |
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for a rural judicial and court personnel salary assistance grant |
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before January 1, 2026. |
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SECTION 3. Not later than January 1, 2026, the comptroller |
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of public accounts shall comply with the requirements of Section |
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130.914, Local Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |