By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 2070               A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to court administration, including the term of a local   administrative judge, court administration training, and the   compensation of certain administrative judges.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 74.091, Government Code, is amended by   amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to read as   follows:          (b)  In a county with two or more district courts the judges   of those courts shall elect a district judge as local   administrative district judge:                (1) for a term of [not more than] two years; or                (2) if the district judge's term ends before the second   anniversary of the date the district judge is elected as local   administrative judge, for the remainder of the district judge's   term.          (b-1) The local administrative district judge may not be   elected on the basis of rotation or seniority.          (b-2) If a majority of the judges cannot agree on the   selection of a judge to serve as local administrative district   judge, one of the judges shall notify the regional presiding judge   who shall cast the deciding vote. A local administrative judge   elected pursuant to this subsection shall serve for a term, set by   the regional presiding judge, of no more than two years.          SECTION 2.  Chapter 74, Government Code, is amended by   adding Subchapter D-1 to read as follows:                SUBCHAPTER D-1. COURT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE          Sec. 74.0981.  COURT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE. The Office of   Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System shall hold an   annual meeting to provide information to presiding judges of   administrative regions, local administrative judges, and court   administrators related to:                (1)  court budgets and operational funding;                (2)  court activity statistics and case-level   information on the amount and character of the business transacted   by the state trial courts;                (3)  the duties of a local administrative judge; and                (4)  other matters related to court administration.          Sec. 74.0982.  REIMBURSEMENT. TheOfficeof Court   Administration of the Texas Judicial System may reimburse a   presiding judge of an administrative region, a local administrative   judge, or a court administrator, for the expense of attending the   meeting described by Section 74.0981 to the extent money is   appropriated to the office for that purpose.          SECTION 3.  Section 659.012, Government Code, is amended by   amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsection (d-1) to read as   follows:          (d)  Notwithstanding any other provision in this section or   other law, [in a county with more than five district courts,] a   district judge who serves as a local administrative district judge   under Section 74.091 is entitled to an annual base salary from the   state in the amount provided under Subsection (a) or (b) and an   additional annual [in the] amount from the state equal to:                (1)  in a county with three or four district courts,   three percent of the annual base [$5,000 more than the maximum]   salary for a judge of a district court [from the state to which the   judge is otherwise entitled] under Subsection (a);                (2)  in a county with more than four but fewer than 10   district courts, five percent of the annual base salary for a judge   of a district court under Subsection (a); or                (3)  in a county with 10 or more district courts, seven   percent of the annual base salary for a judge of a district court   under Subsection (a) [or (b)].          (d-1)  Notwithstanding any other provision in this section   or other law, a judge of a division of the business court who serves   as administrative presiding judge under Section 25A.009 is   entitled to an annual base salary from the state in the amount   provided under Subsection (a) or (b) and an additional annual   amount equal to the amount provided under Subsection (d)(3).          SECTION 4.  Section 74.091, Government Code, as amended by   this Act, applies only to a local administrative judge elected on or   after the effective date of this Act.          SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.