LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 80TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 9, 2007

TO:	Honorable Aaron Pena, Chair, House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB3416 by Garcia (Relating to providing psychological counseling to jurors or alternate jurors in certain criminal trials.), As Introduced

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend the Code of Criminal Procedure to authorize a crime victim liaison to arrange for not more than 10 hours of post-trial psychological counseling for a person who serves as a juror or an alternate juror in certain criminal trials involving graphic evidence or testimony. The bill would apply only to jurors or alternate jurors serving in a criminal trial that begins on or after the effective date of the bill, which would be September 1, 2007.

Local Government Impact

The fiscal impact would vary by county depending on how many such trials are held and how many of the jurors or alternate jurors may request counseling.

Two of the largest counties provided fiscal impact data regarding the provisions of the bill. Harris County reports that there are about 100 trials annually for the types of offenses to which the bill would apply. If all of the jurors in each trial requested and were provided the counseling at a cost of between $75 and $90 per hour, the county would incur costs of approximately $900,000, increasing by 3 percent for inlation each year. Bexar County reports that in calendar year 2005, district courts held 69 jury trials to which the provisions of the bill would apply. Bexar County assumed half of the jurors and alternates would request and be provided counseling at a cost of $90 per hour per person, for a total cost to the county of $465,750.

Source Agencies:

LBB Staff:

JOB, ES, DB