Bill > SB717

This bill modifies compensation provisions for judges and justices in Texas, specifically allowing counties to provide additional compensation for extrajudicial services. The bill authorizes commissioners courts to pay business court judges extra compensation up to certain legal limits, which can be paid monthly or biweekly from county funds and is in addition to state salaries. It removes a previous specific exclusion for justices of the Fifteenth Court of Appeals District and adjusts salary calculations for various judicial positions, including district court judges, court of appeals justices, supreme court justices, and court of criminal appeals judges. The bill increases the amount by which a court of appeals justice's combined salary can exceed a supreme court justice's base salary from $5,000 to $13,000, and similarly increases the chief justice of a court of appeals' potential combined salary by $13,000 instead of reducing it. These changes will take effect on September 1, 2025, and will apply to the state fiscal biennium beginning on that date, potentially providing more financial flexibility for counties in compensating their judicial officials.

Budget and Finance

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=SB717