LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 78TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 30, 2003

TO:
Honorable Rodney Ellis, Chair, Senate Committee on Government Organization
 
FROM:
John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
SB790 by West (Relating to a periodic review of court costs and fees and service fees by the Sunset Advisory Commission.), As Introduced



Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB790, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($750,940) through the biennium ending August 31, 2005.

The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.



Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2004 ($375,470)
2005 ($375,470)
2006 $0
2007 $0
2008 $0




Fiscal Year Probable Savings/(Cost) from
GENERAL REVENUE FUND
1 		Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2003
2004 ($375,470) 6.0
2005 ($375,470) 6.0
2006 $0 0.0
2007 $0 0.0
2008 $0 0.0

Fiscal Analysis

The bill would amend the Code of Criminal Procedure, the Transportation Code, and the Family Code to require the Sunset Advisory Commission to review certain court costs, fees, and service fees for continuation.

The sunset review would include factors for need of the cost or fee, the appropriateness, usefulness, and intent of purpose. The commission would make recommendations to the Legislature on the continuation of the costs or fees not later than January 1, 2005. Unless continued by the Legislature, the court cost, fee, or service fee would expire.

The bill would take effect September 1, 2003, and any abolition would only affect court costs, fees, and service fees that would become payable on or after the effective date.


Methodology

Implementation of the legislation would result in a need for 6 additional Policy Analyst positions at the Sunset Commission during fiscal years 2004 and 2005.  Since the provisions of the legislation would expire on September 1, 2005, no future funding would be necessary.

Any revenue implications would depend on the review and the recommendations of the Sunset Commission and future actions by the Legislature.


Local Government Impact

Any revenue implications would depend on the review and the recommendations of the Sunset Commission, future actions by the Legislature, and whether any fees sunset by the legislature would have been credited to local governments.


Source Agencies:
116 Sunset Advisory Commission, 212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 405 Department of Public Safety, 601 Department of Transportation, 696 Department of Criminal Justice
LBB Staff:
JK, GO, MS