BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1845

By: Orr

Intergovernmental Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

A prosecutor's office that is awarded a grant under the rural prosecutor's office salary assistance grant program is restricted to using the grant money to increase the salary of an assistant attorney, an investigator, or a victim assistance coordinator employed at the office. The bill author has informed the committee that a prosecutor's office may not apply grant money to paralegal salaries and that paralegals are critical to the operation of a prosecutor's office. H.B. 1845 seeks to address this issue by including a paralegal as an applicable employed position for which a program grant may be used to increase the salary.

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

H.B. 1845 amends the Local Government Code to include a paralegal as an applicable employed position for which a grant under the rural prosecutor's office salary assistance grant program may be used to increase the salary.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.