LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 78TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 30, 2003

TO:	Honorable Will Hartnett, Chair, House Committee on Judicial Affairs
FROM:	John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB2599 by Stick (Relating to the creation of an appellate judicial system for the Third Court of Appeals District.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend Government Code, Chapter 22 to create an appellate judicial system for the Third Court of Appeals.  The bill would require counties of the Third Court of Appeals district to collect and forward filing fees to a fund for the assistance of the court.  The bill would require the commissioners courts to vest management of the system in the chief justice of the Third Court of Appeals.  To the extent that the Third Court of Appeals uses local collections to defray expenses previously paid with state appropriations, the fiscal implication to the state is not anticipated to be significant.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated. The 24 counties in the Third Court of Appeals District would incur slight costs to establish a separate appellate justice system fund, but these costs are expected to be minimal. Lampasas County reported 66 civil cases filed in fiscal year 2002, resulting in $330 for the fund. Williamson County reported that it would contribute approximately $6,000 for the fund.

Source Agencies:	212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 223 Third Court of Appeals District, Austin, 228 Eighth Court of Appeals District, El Paso
LBB Staff:	JK, GO, KG, VDS, TB