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: HB928 by Junell (Relating to the annual salary supplement paid by the state to certain county judges), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted ************************************************************************** * Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for * * HB928, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: positive impact * * of $0 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 $0 * * 2001 0 * * 2002 0 * * 2003 0 * * 2004 0 * **************************************************** All Funds, Five-Year Impact: *************************************************************************** *Fiscal Probable Savings/(Cost) from Probable Revenue Gain/(Loss) * * Year Judicial Fund from Judicial Fund * * 0573 0573 * * 2000 $(1,020,000) $1,018,000 * * 2001 (1,023,000) 1,023,000 * * 2002 (1,024,000) 1,024,000 * * 2003 (1,025,000) 1,025,000 * * 2004 (1,026,000) 1,026,000 * *************************************************************************** Fiscal Analysis The bill would amend the Government Code to provide a $10,000 salary supplement to certain constitutional county judges. The bill would create additional fees and costs in certain county courts which would be remitted to the Comptroller. Finally, the bill would require the Comptroller to return any of the fees and costs, created by the bill and in excess of the amount required to pay the salary supplement, to the counties on a pro rata basis. Methodology 204 county judges receive the current salary supplement of $5,000. All judges currently receiving the $5,000 salary supplement would, under the bill's provisions, receive $10,000. This would cost the state $1,020,000 each fiscal year. Revenue projected to come into the Judicial Fund as a result of the new fees and costs which would be created by the bill was estimated using case data for county courts from the Texas Judicial System Annual Report. The bill provides that excess revenue above the portion needed to pay the salary supplement would be returned to the counties on a pro rata basis. Thus, once revenue collections are sufficient to support the county judge salary supplement (assumed to occur during FY 2001), revenue gain and cost to the Judicial Fund would be equal. Information from the Comptroller of Public Accounts was used to determine revenue gain to the Judicial Fund. Information from the Office of Court Administration was used to determine cost to the Judicial Fund. Local Government Impact No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated. Source Agencies: LBB Staff: JK, PE, DG