By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 2364
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a grant program to provide salary assistance for
judicial and court personnel in rural counties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 130, Local Government
Code, is amended by adding Section 130.914 to read as follows:
Sec. 130.914. RURAL JUDICIAL AND COURT PERSONNEL SALARY
ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM. (a) In this section:
(1) "Grant" means a grant the comptroller awards under
the rural judicial and court personnel salary assistance grant
program established by this section.
(2) "Qualified county" means a county with a
population of 300,000 or less.
(3) "Office" means the Office of Court Administration.
(b) The comptroller in collaboration with the Office shall
establish and administer the rural judicial and court personnel
salary assistance grant program to support the state purpose of
ensuring courts operate effectively and efficiently across this
state by providing funds for salary assistance and retention
incentives for judicial and court personnel in qualified counties.
(c) Not later than the 30th day after the first day of a
qualified county's fiscal year, the county may submit a grant
application to the comptroller. A county may submit only one grant
application each fiscal year.
(d) The comptroller and the Office shall determine whether
to award a grant to a qualified county applicant.
(e) The comptroller in collaboration with the Office shall
adopt rules necessary to implement this section, including rules to
establish:
(1) a standardized application process, including the
grant application form and the manner of submitting the form;
(2) deadlines for:
(A) applying for the grant;
(B) disbursing grant money; and
(C) spending grant money; and
(3) procedures for:
(A) monitoring the disbursement of grant money to
ensure compliance with this section; and
(B) the return of grant money a county uses for a
purpose not authorized by this section.
SECTION 2. A qualified county, as defined by Section
130.914, Local Government Code, as added by this Act, may not apply
for a rural judicial and court personnel salary assistance grant
before January 1, 2026.
SECTION 3. Not later than January 1, 2026, the comptroller
of public accounts shall comply with the requirements of Section
130.914, Local Government Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.