LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                               May 11, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Royce West, Chair, Senate Committee on
               Jurisprudence
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB2740  by Turner, Bob (Relating to the distribution of
               money to certain counties for the payment of
               extraordinary costs of prosecution.), As Engrossed
  
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*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.        *
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The proposed bill amends the statutory authority for an existing criminal
justice grant program, the Extraordinary Costs of Prosecution program.
This program provides eligible counties with financial reimbursement for
the cost of prosecuting capital murder cases.  Proposed substitute
deletes all statutory requirements that limited eligibility of counties
for the program, and limits grant awards to the amounts appropriated by
the Legislature to the Governor's Criminal Justice Division for that
purpose.
  
Local Government Impact
  
The Governor's Criminal Justice Division currently awards grants to
counties for the cost of prosecuting capital murder cases.  Funds
allocated for these grants in the 2000-2001 biennium total $2.4 million.
Two million dollars and any unexpended balances in funds allocated for
the program during the 2000-01 biennium will be available for this
program during the 2002-03 biennium.

According to the Governor's Criminal Justice Division, existing statutory
requirements restricted the use of program by counties.  As a result,
the Governor's Criminal Justice Division has awarded less than $500,000
of the $2.4 million available for the program.   The elimination of
certain statutory requirements made by the proposed substitute is
expected to increase the number of grants awarded to counties that
prosecute capital murder cases.
  
  
Source Agencies:   
LBB Staff:         JK, TB, JC, ZS