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Relating to judicial compensation and assignment, the contributions to, benefits from, membership in, and administration of the Judicial Retirement System of Texas Plan One and Plan Two, and the compensation and retirement benefits of certain prosecutors and other members of the elected class of the Employees Retirement System of Texas.
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB 2384, Committee
Report 1st House, Substituted: a negative impact of $59,515,828 through the biennium ending
August 31, 2021.
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of
funds to implement the provisions of the bill.
HB 2384 would entitle an associate judge to 90 percent of the pay of a district judge. The bill would have the state compensate counties for 60% of the district judges' base salaries under the General Appropriations Act. A county judge would be entitled to a supplement from the state equal to 18% of the base pay for district judges as set by the General Appropriations Act. The salary of judges serving outside their county would be determined based upon the state base salary. The amount by which the judge exceeds the base salary would not be used to determine their compensation while serving outside their county.
HB 2384 would increase the base pay for a district court judge from $125,000 to $140,000. A court of appeals judge's salary would increase to 110 percent of the district court judges base salary and a Supreme Court justice's salary to 120 percent of the district court judges base pay. After 4 years of service any judge's salary would increase to 110 percent of the salary for their given position, 120 percent after 8 years and 130 percent after 12 years.
This bill would make numerous other changes related to judicial compensation and assignment, the contributions to the Judicial Retirement System, and the compensation and retirement benefits of certain prosecutors and other members of the elected class of the Employees Retirement System.
Texas Action is neutral on HB 2384. This bill would increase the cost of government by raising the salary of a variety of members of the judicial branch of government. However, Texas does have a responsibility to maintain an efficient and effective system of justice. We do not have a basis to determine whether increasing judges salaries will help accomplish that mission, therefore we remain neutral.
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