LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 86TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 17, 2019

TO:
Honorable Garnet Coleman, Chair, House Committee on County Affairs
 
FROM:
John McGeady, Assistant Director     Sarah Keyton, Assistant Director
Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB1624 by Thompson, Senfronia (Relating to the annual state contribution to counties for statutory probate court judge salaries.), As Introduced



Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB1624, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($1,584,000) through the biennium ending August 31, 2021.

The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.



Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2020 ($792,000)
2021 ($792,000)
2022 ($792,000)
2023 ($792,000)
2024 ($792,000)




Fiscal Year Probable Savings/(Cost) from
General Revenue Fund
1
2020 ($792,000)
2021 ($792,000)
2022 ($792,000)
2023 ($792,000)
2024 ($792,000)

Fiscal Analysis

The bill would amend the Government Code to set the amount of the state contribution to each county with a statutory county court or statute probate court at 60 percent of the salary of a district judge each fiscal year ($84,000).
 
The bill would take effect September 1, 2019.

Methodology

State judicial compensation is traditionally met through a mix of General Revenue and Judicial Fund No. 573 funding, however for the past several fiscal years Judicial Fund No. 573 revenues have not been sufficient to meet all judicial salary obligations. Due to this, General Revenue funding has been used to meet the remaining obligations. Therefore, this estimate assumes General Revenue funding would be needed to cover the full state obligations for these provisions.

Under the provisions of the bill, the state's contribution to each county with a statutory probate court would increase from $40,000 each fiscal year to an amount equal to 60 percent of the state base salary of a district judge ($84,000). In fiscal year 2018, the state contributed supplements to 18 statutory probate courts. This analysis assumes the same number of statutory probate courts each year, for a total increase of $1,584,000 for the 2020-21 biennium ($84,000 - $40,000 = $44,000 x 18 = $792,000 each year). 

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.


Source Agencies:
212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts
LBB Staff:
WP, AF, MW, DA