LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 78TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

May 16, 2003

TO:	Honorable Robert Duncan, Chair, Senate Committee on Jurisprudence
FROM:	John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB449 by Williams (Relating to the number of justices for the eighth and ninth courts of appeals districts.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend Government Code, Chapter 22 relating to the number of justices for the eighth and ninth courts of appeals districts. The bill would reduce the number of justices on the Eighth Court of Appeals from three to two. Under the bill, the reduction would take place when a vacancy occurs or the term of a justice expires on December 31, 2004, whichever occurs first. This portion of the bill would take effect September 1, 2003. The bill would also increase the number of justices on the Ninth Court of Appeals from two to three, effective January 1, 2005.  To the extent that the Eighth Court of Appeals would realize possible savings in judicial salary, related legal and administrative salary, and other related expenses from the reduction in number of one justice, those savings would be offset by increased costs to the Ninth Court of Appeals for the increase in number of one justice.  This estimate assumes the justice at the Eighth Court of Appeals stays in office until December 31, 2004.

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 228 Eighth Court of Appeals District, El Paso, 229 Ninth Court of Appeals District, Beaumont, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts

LBB Staff:

JK, GO, TB