LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 83RD LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

May 4, 2013

TO:	Honorable Garnet Coleman, Chair, House Committee on County Affairs
FROM:	Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB2518 by Springer (relating to reimbursement for jury service. ), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend the Government Code regarding reimbursement for jury service. The bill would delete provisions relating to the requirement that counties pay jurors $6 per day for each day of service. 

Instead all compensation to jurors for each day of service would be paid by the state, in reimbursements to counties of not less than $6 for a juror's first day of service and in amounts for subsequent days subject to amounts available in the General Appropriations Act (GAA).  The requirement that the state reimburse counties would also be in lieu of what formerly was a state compensation rate of $34 per day after the first day of service.  To the extent state costs for juror pay would be limited to amounts available in the GAA, no fiscal implication to the state is anticipated.  The Comptroller of Public Accounts indicates managing the available appropriation to provide counties with reimbursements for juror pay would result in any additional administrative costs to that office.

The bill would take effect September 1, 2013.

Local Government Impact

The bill will have a positive fiscal impact on county government because counties no longer would have to pay jurors $6 per day in compensation. Based upon historical rates of reimbursements to counties statewide for juror pay after the first day of service, it is anticipated the savings statewide to counties under bill provisions would exceed $1,920,000 per fiscal year.

Source Agencies:

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

LBB Staff:

UP, KKR, AM, TB