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