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 ************************************************************************** * No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. * ************************************************************************** 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