85R14720 CAE-F     By: Schofield, Zerwas H.B. No. 3971     Substitute the following for H.B. No. 3971:     By:  Schofield C.S.H.B. No. 3971       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to the method used to calculate the salary of a state   judge.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 659.012(a), Government Code, is amended   to read as follows:          (a)  Notwithstanding Section 659.011:                (1)  a judge of a district court is entitled to an   annual salary from the state that is equal to 82.5 percent of the   salary of a justice of the supreme court other than the chief   justice [of at least $125,000], except that the combined salary of a   district judge from state and county sources, including   compensation for any extrajudicial services performed on behalf of   the county, may not exceed the amount that is $5,000 less than the   salary provided for a justice of a court of appeals other than a   chief justice;                (2)  a justice of a court of appeals other than the   chief justice is entitled to an annual salary from the state that is   equal to 91 [110] percent of the salary of a justice of the supreme   court other than the chief justice [district judge], except that   the combined salary of a justice of the court of appeals other than   the chief justice from all state and county sources, including   compensation for any extrajudicial services performed on behalf of   the county, may not exceed the amount that is $5,000 less than the   salary provided for a justice of the supreme court other than the   chief justice;                (3)  a justice of the supreme court other than the chief   justice or a judge of the court of criminal appeals other than the   presiding judge is entitled to an annual salary from the state that   is the amount as determined by Section 659.0121 [equal to 120   percent of the salary of a district judge]; and                (4)  the chief justice or presiding judge of an   appellate court is entitled to an annual salary from the state that   is $2,500 more than the salary provided for the other justices or   judges of the court, except that the combined salary of the chief   justice of a court of appeals may not exceed the amount that is   $2,500 less than the salary provided for a justice of the supreme   court other than the chief justice.          SECTION 2.  Subchapter B, Chapter 659, Government Code, is   amended by adding Section 659.0121 to read as follows:          Sec. 659.0121.  DETERMINATION OF JUDICIAL SALARIES. (a)   The salary of a justice of the supreme court other than the chief   justice is equal to the sum of:                (1)  one-third of the average salary on January 1 of   justices, other than chief justices, on the highest appellate   courts of the nine most populous states as determined by the   decennial census, not including Texas;                (2)  one-third of the salary on January 1 of a judge of   a United States Court of Appeals; and                (3)  one-third of the average starting base salary on   January 1 of first-year associate attorneys employed in this state   with the five private law firms with the largest number of attorneys   licensed in this state.          (b)  The Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial   System shall collect and provide to the Legislative Budget Board   the information required by Subsections (a)(1) and (2) not later   than February 1 of each year.          (c)  The State Bar of Texas shall collect and provide to the   Legislative Budget Board the information required by Subsection   (a)(3) not later than February 1 of each year.          (d)  The Legislative Budget Board shall calculate the salary   under Subsection (a) based on the information collected and   provided to the board under Subsection (b) and provide the amount to   the comptroller not later than March 1 of each year.          (e)  On October 1 of each year, the comptroller shall adjust   all salaries paid by the state under Section 659.012 based on the   amount provided by the Legislative Budget Board under Subsection   (d).          (f)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the adjusted salary   under Subsection (e) may not increase by more than four percent per   year or by the inflation rate during the previous calendar year, as   determined by the comptroller on the basis of changes in the United   States Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index for All   Urban Consumers, whichever is higher.          (g)  Not later than May 1 of each year, the comptroller shall   publish in the Texas Register a list of all salaries to be paid   under Section 659.012 beginning on the following October 1.          SECTION 3.  Chapter 35, Government Code, is repealed   effective August 31, 2021.          SECTION 4.  Except as otherwise provided by this Act, this   Act takes effect September 1, 2019.