LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 79TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

March 17, 2005

TO:	Honorable Will Hartnett, Chair, House Committee on Judiciary
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB1062 by Naishtat (Relating to the availability of judges and magistrates for proceedings related to chemically dependent persons.), As Introduced

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would require a probate court or court having probate jurisdiction to be open during normal business hours and for the probate judge or magistrate to be available at all times upon request of certain persons taken into custody, detained, or that is a proposed patient.

Under current statute, probate courts are required to be open at all times, which in effect results in applicable judges and magistrate's being available at all times, as well as other court employees. It is anticipated that the reduction to business hours only for the court to be open would provide an operational savings to the courts, as the judges and magistrates would have to be "on call" rather than having the courts staffed around the clock.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

LBB Staff:

JOB, DLBa