BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1674
86R11872 TSS-D	By: Perry
	Finance
	3/28/2019
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Current law requires the comptroller of public accounts of the State of Texas to credit to the judicial fund for approved programs that provide basic civil legal services to low-income Texans the net amount of certain civil penalties and payments and of certain amounts recovered as civil restitution in certain actions by the Texas attorney general and caps the amount of such allocations at $50 million per biennium. This bill seeks to change the cap on the amount that may be credited to a maximum of $50 million for each state fiscal year.

This bill is the companion bill to H.B. 2235 by Representative Senfronia Thompson.

This bill amends Section 402.007 of the Government Code to increase the maximum amount that may be credited to the judicial fund under Subsection (b) of that section for programs approved by the Supreme Court of Texas that provide basic civil legal services to the indigent.

As proposed, S.B. 1674 amends current law relating to the amount credited in a state fiscal year to the judicial fund to provide basic civil legal services.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 402.007(d), Government Code, to prohibit the total amount credited to the judicial fund for programs approved by Supreme Court of Texas that provide basic civil legal services to the indigent under Subsection (b) from exceeding $50 million per state fiscal year, rather than $50 million per state fiscal biennium.

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2019.