BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1840

By: Hinojosa

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been noted that a justice court technology fund provides funding for the cost of continuing education and training for justice court judges and clerks and for the purchase and maintenance of technological enhancements for the court. Due to the increasing reliance on and need for technology in the state judicial system, there have been calls to add more staff and education to ensure that these courts are operating efficiently. S.B. 1840 seeks to address this issue by expanding the uses of the fund to include the provision and continuing education of additional court personnel.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 1840 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to expand the authorized uses and purpose of a county's justice court technology fund by:

·         including as an authorized use the financing of the cost of providing court personnel, including salaries and benefits;

·         authorizing continuing education and training to all court personnel instead of only judges and clerks;

·         removing a court's technological enhancements as the only topics addressed in that continuing education and training; and

·         extending to all counties, regardless of population or location, the authority to use the fund to assist a constable's office or other county department with a technological enhancement or cost related to the enhancement if the enhancement directly relates to the operation or efficiency of the court.

The bill renames the fund as the justice court assistance and technology fund.

S.B. 1840 amends the Government Code to make conforming changes.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.