LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 80TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

March 14, 2007

TO:	Honorable Jeff Wentworth, Chair, Senate Committee on Jurisprudence
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB560 by Ellis (Relating to reimbursement for jury service.), As Introduced

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB560, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($20,400) through the biennium ending August 31, 2009.

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

General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:

Fiscal Year	Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2008	($10,200)
2009	($10,200)
2010	($10,200)
2011	($10,200)
2012	($10,200)

All Funds, Five-Year Impact:

Fiscal Year	Probable Savings/(Cost) from GENERAL REVENUE FUND 1
2008	($10,200)
2009	($10,200)
2010	($10,200)
2011	($10,200)
2012	($10,200)

Fiscal Analysis

The bill would amend Chapter 61 of the Government Code to require counties to pay prospective jurors who report for jury duty. The bill would take effect September 1, 2007.

Methodology

Current law only requires counties to make payments for jury duty or reimbursement of expenses to jurors; the bill would require these payments also be made to prospective jurors. The majority of counties, about 95 percent, are already paying prospective jurors who report for jury duty. Counties pay jurors $6 for the first day, and $40 each day thereafter, with the state reimbursing the counties $34 for each juror. The Judiciary Section of the Comptroller's Office would require an increased appropriation to reimburse the other 5 percent of counties as required by Section 61.015 of the Government Code.

Local Government Impact

In those counties in which payments are already made to prospective jurors, there would be no fiscal impact. The impact in counties in which prospective jurors are not currently paid would vary, depending on the number of prospective jurors reporting to a summons and the number of jurors responding to a court process for more than one day. The cost to the county after reimbursement from the state for the second day of attendance, would be $6 per prospective juror per day.

Source Agencies:

212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts

LBB Staff:

JOB, MN, ZS, DB, TB