| TO: | Honorable Will Hartnett, Chair, House Committee on Judicial Affairs |
| FROM: | John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB2188 by Rodriguez (Relating to alternate methods of responding to a jury summons.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted |
The bill would provide for requirements for alternate methods of responding to a jury summons, including by computer or by calling an automated telephone system. The bill would take effect September 1, 2003.
The courts in Tarrant County already utilize a computerized system and a telephone system, although not all functions described in the bill are in use. Because the county has systems in place, modifications to meet all of the provisions of the bill would result in an insignificant one-time cost.
Denton County does not have a computerized system or telephone system for responding to a jury summons. The county estimates that the initial outlay for establishing alternate methods would be between $48,000 and $49,000 for paying an outside vendor to set up a web application, to fund two database servers, and to purchase an access module so that the web application could interface with the jury software program. The county also estimates annual maintenance costs of $3,550. Denton County considers these costs to be insignificant, as the county's overall annual budget is $114.9 million. Additionally, the county anticipates that if it were to implement alternate methods for responding to a jury summons, the county would eventually realize annual savings of $35,000 to $40,000 because the automation would reduce the need to increase staff as the number of summons increase.
| Source Agencies: | 212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council
|
| LBB Staff: | JK, GO, JB, DLBa
|