LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              April 10, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Senfronia Thompson, Chair, House Committee on
               Judicial Affairs
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB3627  by Hope (Relating to the creation of the County
               Court at Law No. 4 of Montgomery County and to the
               jurisdiction, operation, and administration of the
               county courts at law in Montgomery County.), As
               Introduced
  
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*  No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.                    *
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Local Government Impact
  
The bill would create an additional county court at law for Montgomery
County. It would also make various administrative changes relating to
concurrent jurisdiction with the district court and the justice court,
the terms of the court, the practice of law by judges and juries. The
bill would take effect and the new court would be created on January 1,
2002.

The average estimated operating expenses of the three existing county
courts at law, provided by the Montgomery County Auditor, were used to
estimate the operating expenses of the new court. The total for the new
court, including auxiliary salaries and benefits, would be $532,762 a
year. The commissioners court is unsure about the infrastructure
arrangements that would need to be made to accommodate the housing and
operation of the new court, but capital expenses would be an additional
and significant cost.

The administrative changes included in the bill do not have fiscal
implications.
 
In fiscal year 2002, the operating cost of the court would be $355,175.
For each fiscal year thereafter, operating expenditures would total
$532,762.  Capital costs, when known, would increase these figures
significantly. Similar fiscal implications would continue as long as the
provisions of the bill remain in effect.
  
  
Source Agencies:   
LBB Staff:         JK, TB, DB