LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session February 21, 2001 TO: Honorable Fred M. Bosse, Chair, House Committee on Civil Practices FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE: HB1364 by Goodman (Relating to the funding of alternative dispute resolution systems.), As Introduced ************************************************************************** * No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. * ************************************************************************** Local Government Impact The bill would increase the court cost that could be assessed as a court cost for each civil case filed in a county or district court in the county from $10 to $15 , with certain types of civil cases excluded. The court costs assessed in justice courts for civil cases would be increased from $3 to $5. These fees are collected specifically for establishing and maintaining an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) system. The bill would take effect September 1, 2001 and apply only to civil cases filed after that date. As an example of the local impact the increase could have, Travis County (population of near 700,000 according to the 2000-2001 Texas Almanac) reports that the county courts-at-law annually collect $61,000 for the ADR system and the probate courts collect $27,000, for a total of at least $88,000 annually under the current fee structure. If the fees were increased as proposed, Travis County anticipates an increase of approximately $132,000 the first year of implementation, with that amount remaining somewhat constant or growing slightly if cases increase each year thereafter. Every county ADR system would experience a positive fiscal impact, with the amount varying by county size and dependent on the number of civil cases filed. Source Agencies: LBB Staff: JK, TB, DB