LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 86TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 26, 2019

TO:
Honorable Jeff Leach, Chair, House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
 
FROM:
John McGeady, Assistant Director     Sarah Keyton, Assistant Director
Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB1359 by Wu (relating to an attorney identification card for entrance into a building that houses a court; authorizing a fee.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend the Government Code to allow an attorney, licensed to practice in Texas, to present the attorney's state bar card to enter a court building without passing through security. 

The bill would allow the State Bar of Texas to issue state bar members a security services identification card that allows members to enter a court building without passing through security and permits the State Bar of Texas to obtain criminal history record information for applicants of the identification card.

The bill would allow the State Bar of Texas to set a reasonable fee to cover the costs of implementing the provisions of the bill and to remit a portion of each fee, in an amount not less than $50, to each county treasurer of the county of the applicants primary practice location to be utilized for court security purposes.   

Based on the analysis of the Office of Court Administration, duties and responsibilities associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be accomplished using existing resources.
 
The bill would take effect September 1, 2019.

Local Government Impact

The bill would allow the State Bar of Texas to set a reasonable fee to cover the costs of implementing the provisions of the bill and to remit a portion of each fee, in an amount not less than $50, to each county treasurer of the county of the applicants primary practice location and to utilized the remittance for court security purposes. This analysis assumes a positive, but indeterminate fiscal impact to counties under the provisions of the bill.




Source Agencies:
212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council
LBB Staff:
WP, SLE, DA