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 ************************************************************************** * No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. * ************************************************************************** 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