LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                                May 8, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Frank Madla, Chair, Senate Committee on
               Intergovernmental Relations
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB3637  by Hilderbran (Relating to the County Court at
               Law of Burnet County.), As Engrossed
  
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*  No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.                    *
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Local Government Impact
  
The bill would make various changes to the law regarding county courts at
law in Burnet County.  It would give a county court at law concurrent
jurisdiction with the district court in family law cases, including
juvenile cases, and would require the district clerk to serve as clerk of
a county court at law in matters of concurrent jurisdiction with the
district court.

The bill would set the terms of court of a county court at law in Burnet
County the same as the county court.  A special judge of a county court
at law would be appointed or elected in the same manner as a special
county judge.  The bill would instruct the commissioners court to set the
annual salary of a judge of a county court at law at an amount no less
than $1,000 less than the total annual salary of a district judge in the
county.  The exception to this requirement would be judges of a county
court of law who engage in the private practice of law or in whose court
certain court fees and costs are not collected.  Those judges' salaries
would not have a salary minimum.

The bill would designate the official court reporter of a county court at
law to be a sworn officer of the court who holds office at the pleasure
of the court.  The official court reporter would receive compensation
that is at least equal to the compensation received by the lowest-paid
court reporter in the district court in the county, and in the same
manner as compensation that a district court reporter is paid.  The bill
would take effect on September 1, 2001.

Currently, Burnet County does not have a county court at law, although it
does have authority to create such courts. The Burnet County Judge
estimates the following costs for one county court at law: judge's
salary, $95,000, plus benefits, $33,250; court coordinator's salary,
$28,000, and benefits, $9,800; court reporter services, $15,000; court
appointed attorney services, $25,000; and jurors services, $8,000.  The
total annual expenditures for the county court at law would be $214,050.
The judge reported no additional expenditures for equipment and space
requirements.
  
  
Source Agencies:   212   Office of Court Administration, 304
                   Comptroller of Public Accounts
LBB Staff:         JK, DB, TB