LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                                   Austin, Texas
         
                                   FISCAL NOTE
                               75th Regular Session
         
                                  May 1, 1997
         
         
      TO: Honorable Rodney Ellis, Chair            IN RE:  House Bill No. 259, As Engrossed
          Committee on Jurisprudence                              By: West,George "Buddy"
          Senate
          Austin, Texas
         
         
         
         
         FROM:  John Keel, Director    
         
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB259 ( Relating 
to municipal courts of record in Odessa.) this office has detemined 
the following:
         
         Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB259-As Engrossed
         

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
         

         
 
The bill would allow the City of Odessa to expand the jurisdiction 
of its municipal courts and appoint rather than elect the municipal 
court judges.  Under certain conditions, the municipal court 
would have concurrent jurisdiction with a justice of the peace. 
 The bill would require the city to pay additional operating 
costs associated with its court of record designation and to 
pay salary costs for any additional staff.  The bill would require 
all proceedings in a municipal court of record to be recorded 
by an electronic recording device.

          
The cost to the City of Odessa of implementing the provisions 
of the bill would be approximately $37,000 in FY 1998 and approximately 
$23,000 annually thereafter.  
          
   Source:            Agencies:   
                                         
                      LBB Staff:   JK ,BB ,DC