LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              April 18, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Rodney Ellis, Chair, Senate Committee on Finance
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB1377  by Armbrister (Relating to the authority of the
               comptroller to review the use of money collected as court
               costs.), As Introduced
  
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*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.        *
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The bill would amend the Government Code to require the Comptroller to
review and report on those funds and accounts receiving court costs
revenue.   The purpose of the review would be to determine if the amount
of a court cost was appropriate, given the reason for which it is
collected; and to verify the proper use of the revenue.

No later than December 1 of every even-numbered year, the Comptroller
would submit a report detailing the findings to the Governor, the
Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and the Presiding Judge of the Court
of Criminal Appeals.  The Comptroller could include recommendations for
legislation in the report. 

This bill would take effect September 1, 2001.  The first report would be
due December 1, 2002.

The Comptroller's office indicates there would be no significant
administrative costs. 
  
Local Government Impact
  
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is
anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   304   Comptroller of Public Accounts
LBB Staff:         JK, SD, WP