LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
April 14, 1999
TO: Honorable Senfronia Thompson, Chair, House Committee on
Judicial Affairs
FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: HB400 by Thompson (Relating to the creation of certain
district courts), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
**************************************************************************
* Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for *
* HB400, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: negative impact *
* of $(3,523,499) through the biennium ending August 31, 2001. *
* *
* The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal *
* basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of *
* the bill. *
**************************************************************************
General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:
****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) *
* Impact to General Revenue Related *
* Funds *
* 2000 $(1,122,550) *
* 2001 (2,400,949) *
* 2002 (2,538,620) *
* 2003 (2,538,620) *
* 2004 (2,538,620) *
****************************************************
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
***************************************************************************
*Fiscal Probable Savings/(Cost) from Change in Number of State *
* Year General Revenue Fund Employees from FY 1999 *
* 0001 *
* 2000 $(1,122,550) 10.0 *
* 2001 (2,400,949) 20.0 *
* 2002 (2,538,620) 20.0 *
* 2003 (2,538,620) 20.0 *
* 2004 (2,538,620) 20.0 *
***************************************************************************
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would create twenty Judicial Districts, and make two existing
multi-county Judicial Districts into single-county Districts.
Methodology
The annual cost of the salary and benefits of a district judge to the
state is $127,081.
Five of the twenty Judicial Districts would be created effective
September 1, 1999 and cost the state the entire $127,081 during fiscal
year 2000. Two of the twenty Judicial Districts would be created
effective October 1, 1999 and cost the state $116,491 ($127,081 * 11/12)
during fiscal year 2000. Three of the twenty Judicial Districts would be
created effective January 1, 2000 and would cost the state $84,721
($127,081 *8/12) during fiscal year 2000. All of these courts would cost
the state $127,081 in fiscal year 2001 and each year thereafter.
Six of the twenty Judicial Districts would be created effective September
1, 2000 and cost the state the entire $127,081 during fiscal year 2001.
One of the twenty Judicial Districts would be created effective October
1, 2000 and cost the state $116,491 during fiscal year 2001. Three of
the twenty Judicial Districts would be created effective January 1, 2001
and would cost the state $84,721 during fiscal year 2001. All of these
courts would cost the state $127,081 in fiscal year 2002 and each year
thereafter.
The 114th and 294th Judicial Districts would become single-county
districts effective September 1, 2000. These districts would no longer
be eligible for the $1,500 travel allotment paid by the state to
districts composed of two counties. This would result in a savings to
the state of $3,000 in fiscal year 2001 and each year thereafter.
Information provided by the Comptroller of Public Accounts was used to
determine the salary and benefit levels of district court judges.
Local Government Impact
The counties gaining judicial districts would be responsible for the
operating and capital costs of the courts.
Source Agencies:
LBB Staff: JK, PE, DG