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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Rawson, L

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/22/08

HB

SHORT TITLE

Additional Third District Court Staff

SB 11

ANALYST C. Sanchez

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

$392.4

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

ESTIMATED ADDITIONAL OPERATING BUDGET IMPACT (dollars in thousands)

FY08

FY09

FY10 3 Year

Total

Cost

Recurring

or Non-

Rec

Fund

Affected

Total

Indeterminable

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

This bill appropriates $392,400 to the third judicial district court to fund seven new full-time

staff positions. These new positions are: a legal office specialist, a human resources specialist, a

procurement specialist and four clerks.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

Total recurring costs will be $349,700.00.

The initial cost of the program of $349,700.00 in fiscal year 2009 is subject to increased costs

resulting from any increases in salaries and the costs of benefits for the five FTEs.

Senate Bill 11 – Page

2

The appropriation contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any

unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY09 shall revert to the general

fund.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

According to the AOC, all positions are needed and supported by the judiciary’s unified budget.

The four clerk positions are needed as a result of an increase in case filings. The city and county

have experienced growth in population, the court has added two judges since 2004, and the

court’s case processing is complicated by the district attorney’s no-plea policy in criminal cases

resulting in an unusually high rate of jury trials (106 criminal jury trials in 2006). A legal office

specialist will assist with the high rate of self-represented litigants, especially in the domestic

relations cases where up to one-half of the filings are by self-represented litigants. A human

resource specialist will assist the current single FTE devoted to all personnel actions, including

tracking and entering all data required for the PeopleSoft system. A procurement specialist will

assist with the added burdens resulting from new procedures required by PeopleSoft and to

ensure compliance with the Procurement Code and inventory control. At least three of the

requested positions are indicated by the 2004 Staff Study.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

The district court is participating in performance-based budgeting. Staff changes should improve

the approved output performance measures of the court.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation could reduce the court’s case processing time.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

The LFC recommendation adopted by HAFC, includes $80 thousand for an additional court

clerk II FTE.

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL

Status Quo.

CS/bb