LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                                   Austin, Texas
         
                                   FISCAL NOTE
                               75th Regular Session
         
                                  April 16, 1997
         
         
      TO: Honorable Senfronia Thompson, Chair            IN RE:  House Bill No. 3560
          Committee on Judicial Affairs                              By: Goodman
          House
          Austin, Texas
         
         
         
         
         FROM:  John Keel, Director    
         
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB3560 ( Relating 
to salary supplements from the state for certain county attorneys 
and county judges.) this office has detemined the following:
         
         Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB3560-As Introduced
         
Implementing the provisions of the bill would result in a net 
negative impact of $(1,190,000) to General Revenue Related Funds 
through the biennium ending August 31, 1999.
         
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal 
basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions 
of the bill.

The bill would create a $5,000 annual state 
supplement for county judges if at least 40% of the functions 
the judge performs are judicial functions and would also create 
a $2,500 state supplement for county attorneys, other than county 
attorneys who represent the state in district court.
         
 
Fiscal Analysis
 
The bill would fund a new state supplement for constitutional 
county judges who spend 40% of their time on judicial duties. 
 

The bill would also fund a new state supplement for county 
attorneys, however, no county attorney would be eligible for 
the supplement under the current provisions of the bill, since 
all county attorneys may represent the state in district court.
 
Methodolgy
 
The Office of Court Administration conducted a survey of the 
constitutional county judges.  Of the judges who responded, 
46.97 percent, or an estimated 119, said they spent 40% or more 
of their time on judicial matters.

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           Change in Number   
            Savings/(Cost)     of State                                                                   
            from General       Employees from                                                             
            Revenue Fund       FY 1997                                                                    
            0001                                                                                           
       1998        ($595,000)               0.0                                                      
       1998         (595,000)               0.0                                                      
       2000         (595,000)               0.0                                                      
       2001         (595,000)               0.0                                                      
       2002         (595,000)               0.0                                                      
 
 
         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           ($595,000)
               1999            (595,000)
               2000            (595,000)
               2001            (595,000)
               2002            (595,000)
 
Similar annual fiscal implications would continue as long as 
the provisions of the bill are in effect.
          
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
          
   Source:            Agencies:   304   Comptroller of Public Accounts
                                         
                      LBB Staff:   JK ,PE ,DC