LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE 75th Regular Session April 7, 1997 TO: Honorable Rodney Ellis, Chair IN RE: Senate Bill No. 1417 Committee on Jurisprudence By: Ellis Senate Austin, Texas FROM: John Keel, Director In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on SB1417 ( Relating to judicial efficiency.) this office has detemined the following: Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by SB1417-As Introduced Implementing the provisions of the bill would result in an impact of $0 to General Revenue Related Funds for 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. FISCAL ANALYSIS The bill would establish several new programs in the Office of Court Administration, the Supreme Court and the State Bar of Texas and create a new Judicial Committee on Information Technology. The programs would be funded by new fees collected by local governments and remitted to the Comptroller of Public Accounts. Fees would be deposited in the new Judicial Technology Infrastructure account, which would be created within the Judicial Fund and administered by the Judicial Committee on Information Technology. In addition, a Judicial Law Clerk Student Loan Fund account would be created in the General Revenue Fund. Proceeds from the fund would be used to assist qualified candidates in repaying debt incurred as a result of attending law school. The fund would be administered by the Texas Judicial Council. METHODOLOGY and FISCAL IMPACT The Office of Court Administration (OCA) estimated fee revenue and identified costs for an identical piece of legislation (H.B. 2698) based upon cases filed and convictions for fiscal year 1996. The Comptroller of Public Accounts' response for this bill was not available. No estimate was available for proceeds to the Judicial Law Clerk Student Loan Fund. Revenue: The OCA estimated that a $1 fee assessed upon filing would apply to civil cases only. Civil cases filed in the Supreme Court; Courts of Appeals; and, District, County, and Justice of the Peace Courts in 1996 were totaled. OCA assumed that approximately 75 percent of cases would be collectable, producing revenue of approximately $486,000 for deposit in the Judicial Technology Account each year. A $25 fee would apply to convictions in criminal cases (excluding certain traffic violations) if an assessed fine is paid late or in installments. The OCA identified over 2.5 million convictions and deferred adjudications which were likely to be paid late or in installments, for an estimated annual gain to the Judicial Technology Account of $63,662,000. Costs: * Judicial Law Clerk and Staff Attorney Recruitment: $133,020 * Judicial Law Clerk Student Loan Fund: $1,228,278 * Judicial Law Clerk Employment Assistance: no cost * Demographic Census: $10,000 * Court Performance Standards: $130,700 * Judicial Committee on Information Technology: $10,902,612 * Office of Court Efficiency: $444,000 Similar annual fiscal implications would continue as long as the provisions of the bill are in effect. Most local governments could be expected to assess and collect the $25 fee at the same time a late payment was collected or an installment payment plan arranged. Some local governments might incur costs to update reporting methods. However, for most local governments, the cost would be expected to be insignificant. Source: Agencies: LBB Staff: JK ,BB