LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 84TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
May 1, 2015

TO:
Honorable Abel Herrero, Chair, House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
 
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB452 by Alonzo (relating to pretrial hearings in criminal cases in certain courts.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend the Code of Criminal Procedure to require courts to set pretrial hearings, if requested by the defendant, in certain criminal cases in which the offense is punishable by fine and sanction, but that does not include confinement. The court would be required to rule on all pending pretrial motions at that hearing. The bill would provide that if the court fails to hold a pretrial hearing then a defendant is entitled to a continuance of the trial setting to a date not later than the 30th day after the date on which the court holds the hearing.

Based on the analysis of the Office of Court Administration, duties and responsibilities associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be accomplished by utilizing existing resources.


Local Government Impact

While cases involving pre-trial hearings could be significantly more costly, the Office of Court Administration does not anticipate a substantial number of defendants requesting pre-trial hearings and hence do not anticipate a significant fiscal impact on counties.


Source Agencies:
212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council
LBB Staff:
UP, KJo, MW, GDz, KVe