| TO: | Honorable Jeff Wentworth, Chair, Senate Committee on Jurisprudence |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB1793 by Farrar (Relating to judicial instruction for judges who hear complaints against children alleging violations of certain misdemeanor offenses.), As Engrossed |
The bill would amend the Government Code relating to judicial instruction for judges who hear complaints against children alleging violations of certain misdemeanor offenses. The bill would require judges with jurisdiction over certain misdemeanor offenses to complete training on child welfare issues as well as the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act every judicial academic year (state fiscal year) that ends in a 0 or 5.
The bill requires the Court of Criminal Appeals to establish rules that would require two hours of training. The bill also would require the Court to adopt these rules no later than March 10, 2010. Judges in office on the effective date of the bill would not be required to complete training until fiscal year 2011, which would have the effect of not requiring training until fiscal year 2015.
According to the Office of Court Administration, the bill would primarily effect municipal court judges as well as justices of the peace. In judicial academic years ending in 0 or 5 this estimate assumes a cost to the state of $168,108, beginning in fiscal year 2015, to be paid from the Judicial and Court Personnel Training Fund No. 540. This estimate assumes training for 1,414 municipal court judges and 821 justices of the peace. This estimate also assumes there would be a one-time technology cost of $2,000 in fiscal year 2014 to program changes to tracking software for judicial training.
The bill would take effect September 1, 2009.
| Source Agencies: | 212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, MN, JP
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