LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              April 30, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Senfronia Thompson, Chair, House Committee on
               Judicial Affairs
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB3296  by Goodman (Relating to the compensation of a
               former judge or justice while assigned as a visiting
               judge.), As Introduced
  
**************************************************************************
*  Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for    *
*  HB3296, As Introduced:  negative impact of $(400,000) through the     *
*  biennium ending August 31, 2003.                                      *
*                                                                        *
*  The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal      *
*  basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of    *
*  the bill.                                                             *
**************************************************************************
  
This bill would place former judges in the same category as retired
judges regarding compensation for performing visiting judge duties.

The bill would go into effect on September 1, 2001.
  
General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:
  
          ****************************************************
          *  Fiscal Year  Probable Net Positive/(Negative)   *
          *               Impact to General Revenue Related  *
          *                             Funds                *
          *       2002                           $(200,000)  *
          *       2003                            (200,000)  *
          *       2004                            (200,000)  *
          *       2005                            (200,000)  *
          *       2006                            (200,000)  *
          ****************************************************
  
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
  
         *****************************************************
         * Fiscal Year      Probable Savings/(Cost) from      *
         *                      General Revenue Fund          *
         *                              0001                  *
         *      2002                               $(200,000) *
         *      2003                                (200,000) *
         *      2004                                (200,000) *
         *      2005                                (200,000) *
         *      2006                                (200,000) *
         *****************************************************
  
Fiscal Analysis
  

The bill would cost the state approximately $200,000 per year.
  
  
Methodology
  
The bill would shift the financial burden from the counties to the state
for the counties' share of the cost of former judges who are assigned as
visiting judges.  Currently, the state pays 90 percent of the former
judges' salary and the county pays 10 percent.  The state expended $1.8
million on salaries of former judges during the most recent fiscal year.
  
  
Local Government Impact
  
The aggregate amount saved statewide by counties would be approximately
$200,000 per year.
  
  
Source Agencies:   212   Office of Court Administration, 304
                   Comptroller of Public Accounts
LBB Staff:         JK, TB