LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
March 24, 1999
TO: Honorable Rodney Ellis, Chair, Senate Committee on
Jurisprudence
FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: SB229 by Ellis, Rodney (Relating to the collection of
certain fines, court costs, and restitution in criminal
cases), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
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* Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for *
* SB229, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: negative impact *
* of $(703,000) 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. *
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General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:
****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) *
* Impact to General Revenue Related *
* Funds *
* 2000 $(638,500) *
* 2001 (64,500) *
* 2002 0 *
* 2003 0 *
* 2004 0 *
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All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
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*Fiscal Probable Savings/(Cost) from Probable Revenue Gain/(Loss) *
* Year General Revenue Fund from General Revenue Fund *
* 0001 0001 *
* 2000 $(74,500) $(564,000) *
* 2001 (64,500) 0 *
* 2002 0 0 *
* 2003 0 0 *
* 2004 0 0 *
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Fiscal Analysis
The bill would require cities and counties to remit the state share of
the fees on a quarterly basis, rather than monthly as is currently
required. The bill would require the Office of Court Administration to
develop guidelines for the expenditure of the 10% of the fees retained
locally that are to be used for the purpose of improving the efficiency
of the administration of justice in the collecting city or county.
Methodology
The state would lose one month of revenue during fiscal year 2000 as a
result of changing the remittance schedule from a monthly to a quarterly
basis. This lost month of revenue would be recovered in the final fiscal
year should the fee ever be repealed. Using figures from the
Comptroller's Biennial Revenue Estimate document, one month of fees is
estimated to be $564,000.
The Office of Court Administration would have to develop and distribute
guidelines for the expenditure of the 10% retained locally for improving
the efficiency of the administration of justice. This would cost the
state $74,500 in fiscal year 2000 and $64,500 in fiscal year 2001.
Thereafter, there would be no significant cost as the guidelines could
be distributed electronically by means of the internet or on an "as
needed" basis.
Local Government Impact
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, DG