LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 80TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 15, 2007

TO:	Honorable Aaron Pena, Chair, House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB3561 by Puente (Relating to the jurisdiction of certain courts to dispose of separate felony and misdemeanor charges pending against the same defendant.), As Introduced

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would add Article 4.065 to Article 4 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to authorize certain district courts to have concurrent jurisdiction with a county court or county court at law in relation to any felony case pending before the court to take certain actions related to concurrent misdemeanor charges against a defendant.

The bill would take effect immediately if it were to receive the required two-thirds vote in each house; otherwise, it would take effect September 1, 2007.

Local Government Impact

If a defendant has concurrent felony and misdemeanor charges in an applicable county, allowing the disposal of both charges by the district court would create a savings for the county court by reducing its caseload. The fiscal impact would vary by applicable county depending on how many such situations arise and whether the courts utilize the authority for concurrent jurisdication in each of those situations.

Source Agencies:

212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council

LBB Staff:

JOB, ES, DB