SRC-TBR C.S.S.B. 1377 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterC.S.S.B. 1377
2001S0914/1 03/21/01By: Armbrister
Finance
4/22/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, there is no state oversight of court costs that are collected by
cities and counties.  C.S.S.B. 1377 requires the state auditor to conduct a
biennial review and to exercise continuing oversight for each fund to which
court costs are being deposited to determine if the funds are being used as
intended and whether the court costs are appropriate. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a
state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 403B, Government Code, by adding Section
403.0145, as follows: 

Sec. 403.0145.  REVIEW AND OVERSIGHT OF FUNDS AND ACCOUNTS RECEIVING COURT
COSTS. (a)  Requires that each fiscal biennium the state auditor review
each fund and account into which money collected as a court cost is
directed by law to be deposited to determine whether  the money is being
used for the purpose for which it is collected and whether the amount of
the court cost imposed is appropriate, considering the purpose for which
the court cost is collected. 

(b)  Requires the state auditor, not later than December 1 of each
even-numbered year, to make the findings from the review for the previous
fiscal biennium available to the public and to send a report of the state
auditor's findings to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of
the house of representatives, the chief justice of the supreme court, and
the presiding judge of the court of criminal appeals.  Authorizes the
findings to include recommendations for legislation or changes to policies. 

SECTION 2. (a)  Effective date: September 1, 2001.

(b)  Provides that the first report required under Section 403.0145,
Government Code, as added by this Act, is due December 1, 2002. 


SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE CHANGES

Amends As Filed S.B. 1377 by removing proposed language referencing the
comptroller and replacing it with the state auditor.