LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
  
                              March 31, 1999
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Juan Hinojosa, Chair, House Committee on
               Criminal Jurisprudence
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB163  by Carona (Relating to the fee paid by a defendant
               for the execution or processing of an arrest warrant or
               capias.), As Engrossed
  
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*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.        *
*                                                                        *
*  The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal      *
*  basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of    *
*  the bill.                                                             *
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The state receives 20 percent of the proceeds of an arrest warrant
executed by a state peace officer, while local governments retain the
remaining 80 percent of such warrants plus all arrest warrant proceeds
for warrants executed by local peace officers. Raising the fee on an
arrest warrant from $35 to $50 would generate additional revenues to
both General Revenue and to local governments. Additional revenue to the
state is not anticipated to be significant.
  
Local Government Impact
  
Most local governments would receive additional arrest warrant fee
revenue as a result of the bill's passage. The amount would depend on the
number of arrest warrants issued and the local collections rate.

The following three cities and one county provided the number of arrest
warrants in a twelve month period: Austin issued 58,019 warrants with a
29 percent collection rate; Irving issued 57,000 warrants with a
collection rate of 35 percent;  Arlington had a 43 percent collection
rate on 67,282 issued warrants; Dallas County disposed of 39,000 warrants
with a collection rate of 85 percent.

Based on these estimates, the following annual increases in fee revenue
could be realized:

City of Austin - $252,390
City of Irving - $299,250
City of Arlington - $433,965
Dallas County - $585,000

Brazoria County could not provide the number of warrants but reported
receiving $8,149 in warrant fees in the last fiscal year. It is
estimated that Brazoria County would collect an additional $3,495 upon
passage of the bill.
  
  
Source Agencies:   304   Comptroller of Public Accounts
LBB Staff:         JK, MD, TL