Zaffirini Court Bill Turns $5K Judge Bonus Into A Percentage

The text as introduced · 670 words

By: Zaffirini
S.B. No. 2070

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to court administration, including the term of a local

administrative judge, court administration training, and the

compensation of certain administrative judges.

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

SECTION 1. Section 74.091, Government Code, is amended by

amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to read as

follows:

(b) In a county with two or more district courts the judges

of those courts shall elect a district judge as local

administrative district judge :

(1) for a term of [ not more than ] two years ; or

(2) if the district judge's term ends before the second

anniversary of the date the district judge is elected as local

administrative judge, for the remainder of the district judge's

term .

(b-1) The local administrative district judge may not be

elected on the basis of rotation or seniority.

(b-2) If a majority of the judges cannot agree on the

selection of a judge to serve as local administrative district

judge, one of the judges shall notify the regional presiding judge

who shall cast the deciding vote. A local administrative judge

elected pursuant to this subsection shall serve for a term, set by

the regional presiding judge, of no more than two years.

SECTION 2. Chapter 74, Government Code, is amended by

adding Subchapter D-1 to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER D-1. COURT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

Sec. 74.0981. COURT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE. The Office of

Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System shall hold an

annual meeting to provide information to presiding judges of

administrative regions, local administrative judges, and court

administrators related to :

(1) court budgets and operational funding;

(2) court activity statistics and case-level

information on the amount and character of the business transacted

by the state trial courts;

(3) the duties of a local administrative judge; and

(4) other matters related to court administration.

Sec. 74.0982. REIMBURSEMENT. TheOfficeof Court

Administration of the Texas Judicial System may reimburse a

presiding judge of an administrative region, a local administrative

judge, or a court administrator, for the expense of attending the

meeting described by Section 74.0981 to the extent money is

appropriated to the office for that purpose.

SECTION 3. Section 659.012, Government Code, is amended by

amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsection (d-1) to read as

follows:

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision in this section or

other law, [ in a county with more than five district courts, ] a

district judge who serves as a local administrative district judge

under Section 74.091 is entitled to an annual base salary from the

state in the amount provided under Subsection (a) or (b) and an

additional annual [ in the ] amount from the state equal to :

(1) in a county with three or four district courts,

three percent of the annual base [ $5,000 more than the maximum ]

salary for a judge of a district court [ from the state to which the

judge is otherwise entitled ] under Subsection (a) ;

(2) in a county with more than four but fewer than 10

district courts, five percent of the annual base salary for a judge

of a district court under Subsection (a); or

(3) in a county with 10 or more district courts, seven

percent of the annual base salary for a judge of a district court

under Subsection (a ) [ or (b) ].

(d-1) Notwithstanding any other provision in this section

or other law, a judge of a division of the business court who serves

as administrative presiding judge under Section 25A.009 is

entitled to an annual base salary from the state in the amount

provided under Subsection (a) or (b) and an additional annual

amount equal to the amount provided under Subsection (d)(3).

SECTION 4. Section 74.091, Government Code, as amended by

this Act, applies only to a local administrative judge elected on or

after the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.