LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              April 5, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Senfronia Thompson, Chair, House Committee on
               Judicial Affairs
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB3174  by Solis, Jim (Relating to the operation of the
               Court of Appeals for the Thirteenth Court of Appeals
               District and the creation of an appellate judicial
               system for the district.), Committee Report 1st House,
               Substituted
  
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*  No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.                    *
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Local Government Impact
  
The bill would require the court of appeals for the Thirteenth Court of
Appeals District to be held in Edinburg as well as in Corpus Christi.
Hidalgo County would be required to furnish and equip suitable rooms in
Edinburg for the court.  The bill would allow the 20 counties in the
district to pay an automobile allowance not to exceed $15,000 per year to
each of the justices.  Nueces County would be required to pay the total
supplemental salaries, car allowances, and fringe benefits to the
justices each year.  Each of the other counties in the district would be
required to reimburse Nueces County for that county's portion, based on
the proportion that county's population bears to the total population of
all the counties in the district.

Each county in the district would be required to establish an appellate
judicial system to assist the court of appeals and defray costs
associated with the supplements, car allowances, and fringe benefits.
Each county would be required to impose a court cost not to exceed $5 for
each civil suit filed in county court, county court at law, probate
court, or district court.  The fee would not apply to suits for
delinquent taxes.  The fees would be deposited in a local appellate
judicial system fund.

The bill would take effect September 1, 2001.

The Hidalgo County Auditor reported the county would incur costs of
$200,000 for renovation for the room to be used for the court of appeals
in Edinburg, as well as $4,945 in operating expenses for a total of
$204,945 in the first year of operation.

According to the Annual Report of the Texas Judicial System, 34,802 civil
cases were filed in the district during fiscal year 2000.  If the
maximum $5 fee were imposed, $174,010 would be generated for the
appellate judicial system fund.
  
  
Source Agencies:   212   Office of Court Administration, 304
                   Comptroller of Public Accounts
LBB Staff:         JK, TB, DB