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:  SB1379  by Armbrister (Relating to the implementation of
               a change in law imposing or changing the amount of
               certain court costs and fees.), 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,
after each regular legislative session, to identify laws enacted by the
Legislature relating to imposition or the amending of court costs or
court fees collected on behalf of the state.

The Comptroller would prepare and publish a list of the affected costs or
fees in the Texas Register no later than August 1 after each regular
session.  The list would include a statement detailing the date of
imposition and the change in the amount of the fee or cost.  The bill
would establish January 1 as the date of imposition for new or amended
court costs or court fees enacted by legislation.  Further, the bill
would provide a procedure for the specific exemption of court costs or
court fees from the provisions of this legislation.

This bill would take effect immediately upon enactment, assuming that it
received the requisite two-thirds majority votes in both houses of the
Legislature.  Otherwise, it would take effect September 1, 2001.  This
bill would not affect laws that took effect before August 27, 2001, but
it would affect laws that took effect August 27, 2001, or later, if this
bill were to take effect before July 1, 2001.
 
The Comptroller's office indicates there would be no administrative costs
associated with the bill. 
  
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