Judicial Compensation and Retirement | Bill Status Report - 81st Legislature
Bill Status Report - 81st Legislature
Judicial Compensation and Retirement
In November 2008, the Texas Judicial Council passed a resolution supporting the proposed statutory changes recommended by the Judicial Compensation Commission in its 2008 report to the Legislature.
On April 18, 2009, Representative Will Hartnett proposed an amendment to Senate Bill 1 (the Appropriations Act) to provide a salary increase of 3 percent to district and appellate judges as of September 1, 2009. The amendment was adopted by the House, but the proposal was not included in the conference committee report that was adopted and sent to the Comptroller on June 1.
On April 27, 2009, a committee substitute for HB 3995 was laid out in the House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee that included a provision providing for pay increments for appellate and high court judges in keeping with Judicial Compensation Commission recommendations. The committee substitute was not adopted, and the bill died in committee.
Senate Bill 497, authored by Senator Jeff Wentworth, becomes effective September 1, 2009. This bill changes the calculation for judges’ longevity pay from $20 for each year of service credited in the applicable retirement system to an amount equal to 3.1 percent of the judge’s current monthly state salary. In addition, it clarifies that longevity pay is not included as part of the judge’s combined salary from state and county sources for purposes of the salary limitations provided by Section 659.012, Government Code.
Listed below are bills filed during the 81st Legislative Session that involved judicial compensation and retirement. Please note that for each bill in the list, a link exists that will direct the user to Texas Legislature Online. That site will provide the user with the text of the bill and the most current legislative status of the bill.
This list was compiled on June 3, 2009.
Office of Court Administration
Bill Status Report
06-03-2009 - 13:33:47
- Action in the
date range 
- Link to Related
Information ( ) - Priority
| Jud. Compensation &
Retirement | |
|
HB 765
|
Hartnett
Carona
|
Relating to
supplemental payments made to certain statutory probate court
judges. |
| Track
Name(s): |
Guardianships, Probate, Mental, Jud. Compensation &
Retirement |
| Bill
History: |
05-31-09 G Sent to the Governor
|
|
HB 1529
|
Hughes |
Relating to
the service retirement annuity for certain members of the Judicial
Retirement System of Texas Plan Two. |
| Track
Name(s): |
Appellate Courts, District Courts, Judicial Section, Jud.
Compensation & Retirement |
| Bill
History: |
04-15-09 H Committee action pending House
Pensions/Investments/Financial Services
|
|
HB 2207
|
Gonzales |
Relating to
retirement qualifications for appellate judges. |
| Companions: |
| SB 2207 |
Hinojosa |
(Identical) |
| |
5-21-09 H Referred to House Committee on House Judiciary and
Civil Jurisprudence | |
| Track
Name(s): |
Appellate Courts, Chief Justices Weekly Report, Jud. Compensation
& Retirement |
| Bill
History: |
05-14-09 H Set on the House Calendar
|
|
HB 2559
|
Truitt
Duncan
|
Relating to
the powers and duties of the Employees Retirement System of
Texas. |
| Companions: |
| SB 1404 |
Duncan |
(Identical) |
| |
3-17-09 S Introduced and referred to committee on Senate
State Affairs | |
| Track
Name(s): |
Human
Resources, Jud. Compensation & Retirement |
| Bill
History: |
06-01-09 H HCR 292, enrolling clerk
changes
|
| Track
Name(s): |
Juvenile Law, Jud. Compensation &
Retirement |
| Bill
History: |
05-29-09 G Sent to the Governor
|
|
HB 3468
|
Naishtat
Wentworth
|
Relating to
the selection, duties, and compensation of a presiding criminal judge in
Travis County. |
| Track
Name(s): |
County
Courts, District Courts, Guardianships, Probate, Mental, Jud. Compensation
& Retirement |
| Bill
History: |
05-31-09 G Sent to the Governor
|
|
HB 3710
|
Homer |
Relating to
consideration of district court cases by judges of certain constitutional
county courts. |
| Track
Name(s): |
CVR,
Civil Law, County Courts, Criminal Law & Procedure, District Courts,
OCA/TJC, Jud. Compensation & Retirement |
| Bill
History: |
05-04-09 H Committee action pending House Judiciary and Civil
Jurisprudence
|
| Track
Name(s): |
Judicial Section, Jud. Compensation &
Retirement |
| Bill
History: |
03-19-09 H Introduced and referred to committee on House Judiciary
and Civil Jurisprudence
|
|
HB 3892
|
Vaught |
Relating to
compensation and benefits received by a Chapter 90 Civil Practice and
Remedies Code multidistrict litigation pretrial
judge. |
| Track
Name(s): |
District Courts, Jud. Compensation & Retirement, Presiding
Judges Weekly Report |
| Bill
History: |
05-06-09 H Reported favorably from committee on House Judiciary and
Civil Jurisprudence
|
|
HB 4543 (1)
|
Raymond |
Relating to
a cost-of-living increase in compensation for district court
judges. |
| Track
Name(s): |
High
Priority, District Courts, Jud. Compensation &
Retirement |
| Bill
History: |
04-27-09 H Committee action pending House Judiciary and Civil
Jurisprudence
|
|
HB 4760
|
Gonzales
Hinojosa
|
Relating to
the minimum salary that must be paid to county court at law judges in
Hidalgo County. |
| Track
Name(s): |
County
Courts, Jud. Compensation & Retirement |
| Bill
History: |
05-26-09 S Withdrawn from the Local
Calendar
|
|
SB 1
|
Ogden
Pitts
|
General
Appropriations Bill for the 2010-2011 biennium. |
| Track
Name(s): |
Finance
& Administration, Court of Criminal Appeals, Chief Justices Weekly
Report, Human Resources, Judicial Section, Jud. Compensation &
Retirement, Presiding Judges Weekly Report, Supreme
Court |
| Bill
History: |
05-29-09 H House adopted conference report (Vote: Y:142/N:
2)
|
|
SB 314 (1)
|
Wentworth |
Relating to
the treatment of longevity pay that is paid to certain judges and
justices. |
| Track
Name(s): |
High
Priority, Appellate Courts, Jud. Compensation & Retirement, TJC
proposals |
| Bill
History: |
02-11-09 S Introduced and referred to committee on Senate
Jurisprudence
|
| Track
Name(s): |
High
Priority, Appellate Courts, Jud. Compensation & Retirement, Presiding
Judges Weekly Report, TJC proposals |
| Bill
History: |
05-31-09 S Senate adopted conference report (Vote: Y: 31/N:
0)
|
|
SB 1404
|
Duncan |
Relating to
the powers and duties of the Employees Retirement System of
Texas. |
| Companions: |
| HB 2559 |
Truitt |
(Identical) |
| |
6-
1-09 H HCR 292, enrolling clerk
changes | |
| Track
Name(s): |
Human
Resources, Jud. Compensation & Retirement |
| Bill
History: |
03-17-09 S Introduced and referred to committee on Senate State
Affairs
|
|
SB 2207
|
Hinojosa |
Relating to
retirement qualifications for appellate judges. |
| Companions: |
| HB 2207 |
Gonzales |
(Identical) |
| |
5-14-09 H Set on the House
Calendar | |
| Track
Name(s): |
Appellate Courts, Chief Justices Weekly Report, Jud. Compensation
& Retirement |
| Bill
History: |
05-21-09 H Referred to House Committee on House Judiciary and Civil
Jurisprudence
|
|
SB 2252
|
Zaffirini |
Relating to
service creditable in the Judicial Retirement System of Texas Plan
Two. |
| Track
Name(s): |
County
Courts, JPs & Municipal Courts, Jud. Compensation &
Retirement |
| Bill
History: |
03-31-09 S Introduced and referred to committee on Senate State
Affairs
|
