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.