Honorable Abel Herrero, Chair, House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB2969 by Herrero (Relating to the authority of the Texas Indigent Defense Commission to provide certain funding for indigent defense services.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Government Code to permit the Texas Indigent Defense Commission to award grants to law schools and regional public defender programs created by more than one county each with a population of less than 100,000 that provides at least 50 percent of the operating costs of the program. The bill would also require the Commission to collect each county's share of the program's costs and distribute them to the regional public defender program.
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
Counties participating in a regional public defender program would be required to provide the county's share in meeting 50 percent of the operating costs of the program to the Commission. These amounts would be distributed to the regional public defender program.
Source Agencies:
212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts