LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 83RD LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 7, 2013

TO:
Honorable Tryon D. Lewis, Chair, House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
 
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB1528 by Otto (Relating to the composition of the First, Tenth, and Fourteenth Courts of Appeals Districts.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend the Government Code relating to the composition of the First, Tenth, and Fourteenth Courts of Appeals Districts. The bill would remove Walker County from the Tenth Court of Appeals District and place the county into the combined jurisdiction of the First and Fourteenth Court of Appeals Districts. Because the Texas Supreme Court transfers cases among the courts of appeals to equalize the workload of the intermediate appellate courts, there will be no significant fiscal implication to the state court system, but the number of transfers required annually to equalize the workload should be reduced. Accordingly, no significant fiscal implication to the state's court system is anticipated.

The bill would take effect September 1, 2013.


Local Government Impact

According to the Office of Court Administration, if Walker County is placed into the combined Houston district it is estimated that Walker County would be assessed an amount of approximately $8,800 per year from Harris County, to fund Walker County's proportionate share of operational costs for the First and Fourteenth Courts of Appeals Districts. If Walker County is transferred out of the Waco District and the other counties in the district do not pick up the difference ($1,641 per year based on the most recent information), the salary supplement for the three justices in the Waco district will be reduced by about $550 per justice.  The other counties in the Waco district would be asked to pay the lost amount to keep the supplements of the Waco justices at the current level. Accordingly, no significant fiscal implication to local government is anticipated.



Source Agencies:
212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council
LBB Staff:
UP, CL, TB, JT, JP