LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              March 19, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Fred M. Bosse, Chair, House Committee on Civil
               Practices
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB176  by Luna, Vilma (Relating to the use of
               telecommunication in certain civil pretrial and trial
               proceedings.), As Introduced
  
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*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.        *
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The bill would amend the Civil Practice and Remedies Code to allow the
use of telecommunication for certain civil court proceedings, if ordered
by a trial or appellate judge.  A hearing of a preliminary matter, a
deposition, witness testimony at a trial, or any appellate proceeding
would qualify to be conducted by telecommunication. The use of
telecommunication could occur only if the method allowed instantaneous,
recordable, two-way image and sound communication between all involved
parties, including the court.

A person could obtain a videotaped copy of the proceeding upon payment of
a reasonable fee to the clerk of the court.  This fee would cover the
costs of producing the copy.  Expenses incurred by a court in the use of
telecommunication for a proceeding would be assessed and collected as
court costs.
 
The bill would take effect immediately upon enactment, assuming that it
received the requisite two-thirds majority votes in both houses of the
Legislature.  Otherwise, it would take effect September 1, 2001.
  
Local Government Impact
  
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is
anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   304   Comptroller of Public Accounts, 212   Office of
                   Court Administration
LBB Staff:         JK, TB, JN, DB