LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 83RD LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

March 18, 2013

TO:	Honorable Royce West, Chair, Senate Committee On Jurisprudence
FROM:	Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB1147 by West (Relating to the electronic filing system established by rule or order of the Texas Supreme Court; authorizing fees.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

This bill would amend the Government Code, Chapter 72 to permit the Office of Court Administration as authorized by Supreme Court rule or order, to implement an electronic filing system for use in the courts of the state. The bill would permit an appellate court that uses the electronic filing system to charge a fee of $2 for each electronic filing transaction if the fee is necessary to recover the system operating costs the bill provides that an appellate court that uses the electronic filing system may accept electronic payment methods, including payments made with credit and debit cards.

The Office of Court Administration (OCA) does not anticipate a significant impact on state revenues and indicates that any costs associated with the bill could be absorbed within the agency’s existing resources.

Local Government Impact

The bill authorizes a local government or appellate court that uses the electronic filing system to charge a fee of $2 for each electronic filing transaction. Since local governments are currently authorized by Section 2054.111(e) to charge a fee for use of the current electronic filing system, it is not expected that the $2 fee authorized by the bill will have a significant fiscal impact on local government.

Source Agencies:

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

LBB Staff:

UP, CL, ZS, JJO, KKR