LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 89TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 1, 2025

TO:	Honorable Jeff Leach, Chair, House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
FROM:	Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB1363 by Hernandez (Relating to implicit bias training for justices and judges of state courts, judicial officers, certain court personnel, and attorneys licensed to practice law in this state.), As Introduced

The fiscal impact to the State cannot be determined due to the costs of providing the implicit bias training required by the bill being unknown. 

The bill would amend the Government Code to require certain judges, judicial officers, and court personnel to complete a training course on implicit bias. The bill would require the Court of Criminal Appeals to approve the course and adopt rules to implement the provisions. 

The bill would require each attorney licensed in Texas to attend training on implicit bias and bias-reducing strategies to address certain topics. The bill would require the Texas State Bar to approve continuing education under the new provisions. 

The required training would be eligible for funding from the General Revenue-Dedicated Statewide Judicial and Court Personnel Training Fund No. 540. Appropriation authority for this fund is estimated in the General Appropriations Act (GAA), which authorizes the expenditure of all available revenues and balances for the two year period covered by the GAA. 

According to the Office of Court Administration, the implicit bias training required by the bill may require funds in excess of those already allocated for judicial education training; therefore, the fiscal impact cannot be determined.

Local Government Impact

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

Source Agencies:

212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council

LBB Staff:

JMc, KDw, DA, NTh