Honorable Joe Nixon, Chair, House Committee on Civil Practices
FROM:
John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB2843 by Corte (Relating to legal and judicial ethics.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Government Code and the Civil Practice and Remedies Code relating to legal and judicial ethics. The bill would require a judge to disclose certain financial relationships to parties in cases before the judge. The bill would allow the Office of the Attorney General to serve as chief disciplinary counsel in state bar disciplinary proceedings, at the attorney general's discretion. This estimate assumes that to the extent the Office of the Attorney General exercises agency discretion to serve as chief disciplinary counsel in certain state bar disciplinary proceedings, the fiscal implication would not be significant. The bill would take effect September 1, 2003.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.Municipal, county and district courts would incur some expense to monitor and catalog judges' disclosure reports, but costs are not expected to be significant.
Source Agencies:
201 Supreme Court of Texas, 242 State Commission on Judicial Conduct, 302 Office of the Attorney General