LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE
75th Regular Session
March 25, 1997
TO: Honorable Ron E. Lewis, Chair IN RE: House Bill No. 1504
Committee on County Affairs By: Dutton
House
Austin, Texas
FROM: John Keel, Director
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB1504 ( Relating
to the reimbursement of jurors.) this office has detemined the
following:
Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB1504-As Introduced
Implementing the provisions of the bill would result in a net
impact of $0 to General Revenue Related Funds through the biennium
ending August 31, 1999.
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated, since jury
reimbursements affected by this bill are paid by counties.
Fiscal Analysis
This bill would increase the travel and expense reimbursements
paid to jurors from the current range of $6 to $30 to a mandatory
$50 per day for persons serving on either the grand or petit
juries.
Methodolgy
According to the Comptroller of Public Accounts, there were
13,663 petit jury trials in district, county, and justice of
the peace courts in fiscal year 1996. Data collected by the
Comptroller from a sample of counties suggests that jurors are
paid approximately $8 per day on average. Assuming 12 jurors
per trial, $8 per day per juror, and an average three days per
juror, it is estimated that counties currently pay petit jurors
a total of $3.9 million per year.
Although no data is available
for the number of grand jury trials, data from a sample of counties
was collected by the Comptroller of Public Accounts suggesting
that a county makes payments to grand jurors that equal approximately
8.5 percent of payments made to petit jurors. Assuming this
ratio holds relatively constant, it is estimated that an additional
$330,000 is paid to grand jurors statewide each year. Total
county payments to petit and grand jurors combined is therefore
estimated to be approximately $4.2 million per year.
It is
estimated that this bill would have the effect of increasing
the amount of juror payments by counties by a factor of 6.25,
or the ratio of an increase from $8 per day to $50 per day.
The probable fiscal implications of implementing the provisions
of the bill during each of the first five years following passage
is estimated as follows:
Five Year Impact:
Fiscal Year Probable
Savings/(Cost)
to Counties
LCL-COUNTY
1998 ($2,300,000)
1998 (2,300,000)
2000 (2,300,000)
2001 (2,300,000)
2002 (2,300,000)
Net Impact on General Revenue Related Funds:
The probable fiscal implication to General Revenue related funds
during each of the first five years is estimated as follows:
Fiscal Year Probable Net Postive/(Negative)
General Revenue Related Funds
Funds
1998 $0
1999 0
2000 0
2001 0
2002 0
Similar annual fiscal implications would continue as long as
the provisions of the bill are in effect.
The Comptroller of Public Accounts estimates the following increases
in juror costs to individual counties as a result of this bill:
Dallas County, $6.8 million; Tarrant County, $4.5 million;
and Travis County, $1.7 million.
Source: Agencies: 212 Office of Court Administration
304 Comptroller of Public Accounts
LBB Staff: JK ,TL