Sec. 35.102. BIENNIAL REPORTS. (a) Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year, the commission shall make a biennial report to the legislature. In the report, the commission shall recommend the proper salaries to be paid by the state for all justices and judges of the supreme court, the court of criminal appeals, the courts of appeals, and the district courts.

(b) In recommending the proper salaries for all justices and judges of the supreme court, the court of criminal appeals, the courts of appeals, and the district courts, the commission shall consider the following factors:

(1) the skill and experience required of the particular judgeship at issue;

(2) the value of compensable service performed by justices and judges, as determined by reference to judicial compensation in other states and the federal government;

(3) the value of comparable service performed in the private sector, including private judging, arbitration, and mediation;

(4) the compensation of attorneys in the private sector;

(5) the cost of living and changes in the cost of living;

(6) the compensation from the state presently received by other public officials in the state, including:

(A) state constitutional officeholders;

(B) deans, presidents, and chancellors of the public university systems; and

(C) city attorneys in major metropolitan areas for which that information is readily available;

(7) other factors that are normally or traditionally taken into consideration in the determination of judicial compensation; and

(8) most importantly, the level of overall compensation adequate to attract the most highly qualified individuals in the state, from a diversity of life and professional experiences, to serve in the judiciary without unreasonable economic hardship and with judicial independence unaffected by financial concerns.

Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1090 (H.B. 3199), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2007.