LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE, 89TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION April 27, 2025 TO: Honorable Jeff Leach, Chair, House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence FROM: Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE: HB4944 by Moody (relating to the establishment of a grant program to provide financial assistance to counties for transportation assistance to indigent litigants.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB4944, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: a negative impact of ($1,042,000) through the biennium ending August 31, 2027. There would be an additional indeterminate cost dependent on the amount of legislative appropriations for the purpose of providing grants. The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill. General Revenue-Related Funds, Five- Year Impact: Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact toGeneral Revenue Related Funds2026($683,000)2027($359,000)2028($359,000)2029($359,000)2030($359,000)All Funds, Five-Year Impact: Fiscal Year Probable Savings/(Cost) fromGeneral Revenue Fund1 Change in Number of State Employees from FY 20252026($683,000)3.02027($359,000)3.02028($359,000)3.02029($359,000)3.02030($359,000)3.0 Fiscal AnalysisThe bill would require the Comptroller to establish and administer the County Indigent Litigant Transportation Assistance Grant Program to provide financial assistance to counties that assist indigent litigants with transportation to and from court proceedings. Counties could submit only one application per fiscal year, and the Comptroller would award a grant to a county using money appropriated for that purpose. The Comptroller would be required to adopt rules necessary to implement the bill.
LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 89TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
April 27, 2025
TO: Honorable Jeff Leach, Chair, House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence FROM: Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE: HB4944 by Moody (relating to the establishment of a grant program to provide financial assistance to counties for transportation assistance to indigent litigants.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
TO: Honorable Jeff Leach, Chair, House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
FROM: Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: HB4944 by Moody (relating to the establishment of a grant program to provide financial assistance to counties for transportation assistance to indigent litigants.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
Honorable Jeff Leach, Chair, House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
Honorable Jeff Leach, Chair, House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
HB4944 by Moody (relating to the establishment of a grant program to provide financial assistance to counties for transportation assistance to indigent litigants.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
HB4944 by Moody (relating to the establishment of a grant program to provide financial assistance to counties for transportation assistance to indigent litigants.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB4944, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: a negative impact of ($1,042,000) through the biennium ending August 31, 2027. There would be an additional indeterminate cost dependent on the amount of legislative appropriations for the purpose of providing grants. The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB4944, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: a negative impact of ($1,042,000) through the biennium ending August 31, 2027. There would be an additional indeterminate cost dependent on the amount of legislative appropriations for the purpose of providing grants. The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.
General Revenue-Related Funds, Five- Year Impact:
2026 ($683,000)
2027 ($359,000)
2028 ($359,000)
2029 ($359,000)
2030 ($359,000)
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
2026 ($683,000) 3.0
2027 ($359,000) 3.0
2028 ($359,000) 3.0
2029 ($359,000) 3.0
2030 ($359,000) 3.0
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would require the Comptroller to establish and administer the County Indigent Litigant Transportation Assistance Grant Program to provide financial assistance to counties that assist indigent litigants with transportation to and from court proceedings. Counties could submit only one application per fiscal year, and the Comptroller would award a grant to a county using money appropriated for that purpose. The Comptroller would be required to adopt rules necessary to implement the bill.
Methodology
This analysis assumes the Comptroller would require three additional full-time equivalent (3.0 FTEs) positions to implement the bill. The additional FTEs include 2.0 Program Specialists IV to assist in constructing the application and compliance report, review and approve applications, award grants, and analyze how the counties expend their grant funds, and 1.0 Attorney V to draft rules and provide legal counsel to ensure compliance with state law and rules. The cost for the 3.0 FTEs would be $359,000 per fiscal year. There would be an additional indeterminate cost dependent on the amount of legislative appropriations for the purpose of providing grants.
Technology
This analysis assumes the Comptroller would incur a one-time technology cost of $324,000 in fiscal year 2026 for 2,160 programming hours to create the web application to handle incoming grant applications, disbursement of grant funds, and programing for reports to support compliance as required by the bill.
Local Government Impact
The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined at this time.
Source Agencies: b > td > 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts
304 Comptroller of Public Accounts
LBB Staff: b > td > JMc, KDw, LCO, CSmi, NV
JMc, KDw, LCO, CSmi, NV