LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              April 11, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Senfronia Thompson, Chair, House Committee on
               Judicial Affairs
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB3192  by Puente (Relating to associate judges appointed
               by the district courts of Bexar County.), As Introduced
  
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*  No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.                    *
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Local Government Impact
  
There are 13 civil district courts in Bexar County.  The bill would allow
any or all of the courts to appoint a full- or part-time associate judge
and provide a court reporter to assist the court.  According to the
Bexar County Planning and Resource Management Department, the annual cost
of an associate judge, including benefits, is $84,800, and the annual
cost of a court reporter, including benefits, is $60,048.

Assuming all 13 civil district court judges appointed full-time associate
judges and provided full-time court reporters to each court, the annual
cost to Bexar County would be approximately $1,883,024.  Should all 13
civil district court judges appoint part-time associate judges and
provide part-time court reporters to each court, then the cost to Bexar
County would be $941, 512.
  
  
Source Agencies:   212   Office of Court Administration, 304
                   Comptroller of Public Accounts
LBB Staff:         JK, TB