LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE
75th Regular Session
May 6, 1997
TO: Honorable Senfronia Thompson, Chair IN RE: Senate Bill No. 1534, Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted
Committee on Judicial Affairs By: Barrientos
House
Austin, Texas
FROM: John Keel, Director
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on SB1534 ( Relating
to additional court filing fees to provide basic civil legal
services to the indigent.) this office has detemined the following:
Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by SB1534-Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted
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.
The bill would make no appropriation but would provide the legal
basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions
of the bill.
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would establish a Basic Civil Legal Services Account
in the Judicial Fund administered by the Supreme Court. Filing
fees would be created to fund the account. The Supreme Court
would establish the criteria for eligibility for the funds and
would distribute funds to nonprofit organizations that provided
basic civil legal services and met the established income eligibility.
No significant fiscal impact to the Supreme Court is anticipated.
The bill would implement new filing fees that would be
used to provide basic civil legal services to the indigent.
The clerk of each court would collect a fee, according to a
set schedule, and would be required to remit the fees to the
Comptroller at least monthly. The Comptroller would deposit
these fees into the dedicated account set up within the Judicial
Fund (073) and would make payments from the account only on
vouchers approved by the Supreme Court.
Methodolgy
Estimate of revenue produced:
Supreme Court: 989 cases at
$25 = $24,725
Courts of Appeals: 4596 cases at $25 = $114,900
District
Courts (Other than family district courts): 155,286 cases at
$10 = $1,552,860
District Courts (family) 217,751 at $5 = $1,088,755
County
Courts: 92,052 cases at $5 = $460,260
Justice of the Peace
Courts: 177,350 cases at $2 = $354,700
Total: $3,596,200 X
15% (uncollectible) = $3,056,770 (revenue)
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 Revenue
Gain/(Loss) from
New - Basic
Civil Legal
Services Account
in the Judicial
Fund
NEW-OTH
1998 $3,056,770
1998 3,056,770
2000 3,056,770
2001 3,056,770
2002 3,056,770
Net Impact on General Revenue Related Funds:
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.
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government
is anticipated.
Source: Agencies: 212 Office of Court Administration
304 Comptroller of Public Accounts
LBB Staff: JK ,PE ,RR ,DC