HB 1036

bill letting judges set their own court staff’s pay

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the compensation paid to certain court administrative staff.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Commissioners lose their veto. The county budgets whatever the judges set.

The bill lets judges set the pay of their court coordinators and court administrators without needing approval from the county commissioners court. It affects county commissioners courts, judges, court coordinators and court administrators, and county taxpayers. The county must budget whatever pay the judges set, so county commissioners lose their veto over these salaries starting September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Nov 12, 2024 and referred to the House Intergovernmental Affairs subcommittee on County & Regional Government. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB1036 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Eddie MoralesDHouse 74

ITEM

relating to the compensation paid to certain court administrative staff.

WHAT IT DOES

Commissioners lose their veto. The county budgets whatever the judges set.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

Nov 12, 2024Filed
Mar 7, 2025Read first time
Mar 7, 2025Referred to s/c on County & Regional Government by Speaker

FILED UNDER

GOVERNMENT GROWTH UNDER A CONSERVATIVE BANNER

THE TEXT

…“funding necessary to pay the compensation determined under”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill changes government pay by letting judges set court staff salaries that the county must fund, which removes the commissioners court's approval.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Eddie Morales

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$101K Legacy 44$100K Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$57K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Oct 27, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$101,077.16

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$101,077.16

Cash: $80,000.00
Paid by others: $21,077.16
Total: $101,077.16

mailers $21,077.16

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 27, 2024 to Oct 1, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100983216, 101059340, 101067651, 101071574.

Legacy 44$100,000.00

Legacy 44

$100,000.00

Cash: $30,000.00
Paid by others: $70,000.00
Total: $100,000.00

digital $70,000.00

Also funds 33 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 21, 2024 to Oct 20, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 29, 2024 to Sep 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100983216, 101067651.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$56,517.22

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$56,517.22

Cash: $37,500.00
Paid by others: $19,017.22
Total: $56,517.22

mail $18,992.22grassroots $25.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 2, 2024 to Sep 2, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100983216, 101031005, 101067651.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$101,077.16

Cash: $80,000.00
Paid by others: $21,077.16
Total: $101,077.16

mailers $21,077.16

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 27, 2024 to Oct 1, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100983216, 101059340, 101067651, 101071574.

Legacy 44

$100,000.00

Cash: $30,000.00
Paid by others: $70,000.00
Total: $100,000.00

digital $70,000.00

Also funds 33 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 21, 2024 to Oct 20, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 29, 2024 to Sep 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100983216, 101067651.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$56,517.22

Cash: $37,500.00
Paid by others: $19,017.22
Total: $56,517.22

mail $18,992.22grassroots $25.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 2, 2024 to Sep 2, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100983216, 101031005, 101067651.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024

03/07/2025 H Referred to s/c on County & Regional Government by Speaker: Mar 7 2025 2:33PM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:19 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Intergovernmental Affairs · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

County Government--Employees/Officers

Courts--District

Courts--Judges

Courts--Personnel

Salaries & Expenses

Text

The text as introduced · 259 words

89R240 TSS-D

By: Morales of Maverick
H.B. No. 1036

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the compensation paid to certain court administrative

staff.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 74.104, Government Code, is amended to

read as follows:

Sec. 74.104. COMPENSATION. (a) The judges shall determine

reasonable compensation for the court coordinators[ , subject to

approval of the commissioners court ].

(b) The [ Upon approval by the commissioners court of the

position and compensation, the ] commissioners court of the county

shall provide through the county's budget process the [ necessary ]

funding necessary to pay the compensation determined under

Subsection (a) [ through the county's budget process ]. County funds

may be supplemented in whole or part through public or private

grants.

SECTION 2. Section 75.401(d), Government Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(d) A court administrator is entitled to reasonable

compensation, as determined by the judges served and in the salary

range for the position[ , as set by the commissioners court in the

annual budget ].

SECTION 3. Section 152.011, Local Government Code, is

amended to read as follows:

Sec. 152.011. AMOUNT SET BY COMMISSIONERS COURT. Except as

provided by Sections 74.104 and 75.401, Government Code, the [ The ]

commissioners court of a county shall set the amount of the

compensation, office and travel expenses, and all other allowances

for county and precinct officers and employees who are paid wholly

from county funds.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.