BILL ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 4944 By: Moody Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The bill author has informed the committee that many financially challenged indigent litigants have great trouble in finding transportation to get to a courthouse. This could be due to a lack of access to a vehicle, insufficient resources to get transportation from a bus, or even if the party has a vehicle, there may be an inability to pay for gas. The bill author has additionally informed the committee that if a party does not appear for a hearing or has a delayed arrival, a reschedule must occur, impacting the day's docket and keeping matters pending in the administration of justice. C.S.H.B. 4944 seeks to address these issues by creating a grant program for the purpose of helping to ensure indigent litigants have transportation to and from court proceedings. 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 rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the comptroller of public accounts in SECTION 1 of this bill. ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 4944 amends the Local Government Code to require the comptroller of public accounts to establish and administer the county indigent litigant transportation assistance grant program to support the state purpose of ensuring efficient administration of justice throughout Texas by providing financial assistance to counties that assist indigent litigants with transportation to and from court proceedings. The bill defines "indigent litigant" as a person who meets any of the following criteria: is found by a court to be unable to afford the payment of court costs; is an eligible indigent defendant under provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure relating to the right to representation by counsel; is a juvenile respondent whose parent or guardian has been found indigent under provisions of the Family Code relating to the appointment of an attorney and the continuation of representation; or is an indigent person eligible for court-appointed counsel in a suit filed by a governmental entity under provisions of the Family Code relating to suits affecting the parent-child relationship. The bill defines "grant" as a grant authorized to be awarded by the comptroller under the bill's provisions. C.S.H.B. 4944 authorizes a county, not later than the 30th day after the first day of the county's fiscal year but not more than once each fiscal year, to submit an application for a grant under the program to the comptroller. The bill requires the comptroller to award such a grant using money appropriated to the comptroller for that purpose. The bill requires a county that is awarded a grant to use or authorize the use of the grant money only to assist indigent litigants with transportation to and from court proceedings, including the purchase or reimbursement of bus passes, motor vehicle fuel, rideshare service charges or taxi fares, or mileage. C.S.H.B. 4944 requires the comptroller to adopt rules necessary to implement the program, including rules that establish the following: a standardized application process, including the form to be used to apply for a grant and the manner of submitting the form; deadlines for applying for the grant, disbursement of grant money, and spending grant money; guidelines for how grant money may be used; and procedures for monitoring the disbursement of grant money to ensure compliance with the bill's provisions and for the return of grant money that was not used by a county for a purpose authorized by the bill. The bill authorizes a county to apply for a grant under the program on or after January 1, 2027, and requires the comptroller to comply with the bill's requirements not later than January 1, 2027. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2026. COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE While C.S.H.B. 4944 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill. The introduced established that indigent litigants include persons who are civil litigants, criminal defendants, respondents, or the subject of a legal proceeding, as well as persons having custody of a person who is a civil litigant, criminal defendant, respondent, or the subject of a civil, criminal, or juvenile matter, whereas the substitute defines "indigent litigant" as a person who meets any of the following criteria: is found by a court to be unable to afford the payment of court costs; is an eligible indigent defendant under applicable Code of Criminal Procedure provisions; is a juvenile respondent whose parent or guardian has been found indigent under applicable Family Code provisions; or is an indigent person eligible for court-appointed counsel in a suit filed by a governmental entity under applicable Family Code provisions. While both versions require a county that is awarded a grant to use or authorize the use of the grant money only to assist indigent litigants with transportation to and from court proceedings, the substitute includes provisions absent from the introduced specifying certain modes of transportation included under the requirement. The substitute makes the following changes in regard to the introduced version's specified dates: changes the date on or after which a county may apply for a county indigent litigant transportation assistance grant from January 1, 2026, as in the introduced, to January 1, 2027; changes the deadline for the comptroller to comply with the bill's requirements from January 1, 2026, as in the introduced, to January 1, 2027; and changes the bill's effective date from September 1, 2025, as in the introduced, to September 1, 2026.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 4944
By: Moody
Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
Committee Report (Substituted)
C.S.H.B. 4944
By: Moody
Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The bill author has informed the committee that many financially challenged indigent litigants have great trouble in finding transportation to get to a courthouse. This could be due to a lack of access to a vehicle, insufficient resources to get transportation from a bus, or even if the party has a vehicle, there may be an inability to pay for gas. The bill author has additionally informed the committee that if a party does not appear for a hearing or has a delayed arrival, a reschedule must occur, impacting the day's docket and keeping matters pending in the administration of justice. C.S.H.B. 4944 seeks to address these issues by creating a grant program for the purpose of helping to ensure indigent litigants have transportation to and from court proceedings.
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 rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the comptroller of public accounts in SECTION 1 of this bill.
ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 4944 amends the Local Government Code to require the comptroller of public accounts to establish and administer the county indigent litigant transportation assistance grant program to support the state purpose of ensuring efficient administration of justice throughout Texas by providing financial assistance to counties that assist indigent litigants with transportation to and from court proceedings. The bill defines "indigent litigant" as a person who meets any of the following criteria: is found by a court to be unable to afford the payment of court costs; is an eligible indigent defendant under provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure relating to the right to representation by counsel; is a juvenile respondent whose parent or guardian has been found indigent under provisions of the Family Code relating to the appointment of an attorney and the continuation of representation; or is an indigent person eligible for court-appointed counsel in a suit filed by a governmental entity under provisions of the Family Code relating to suits affecting the parent-child relationship. The bill defines "grant" as a grant authorized to be awarded by the comptroller under the bill's provisions. C.S.H.B. 4944 authorizes a county, not later than the 30th day after the first day of the county's fiscal year but not more than once each fiscal year, to submit an application for a grant under the program to the comptroller. The bill requires the comptroller to award such a grant using money appropriated to the comptroller for that purpose. The bill requires a county that is awarded a grant to use or authorize the use of the grant money only to assist indigent litigants with transportation to and from court proceedings, including the purchase or reimbursement of bus passes, motor vehicle fuel, rideshare service charges or taxi fares, or mileage. C.S.H.B. 4944 requires the comptroller to adopt rules necessary to implement the program, including rules that establish the following: a standardized application process, including the form to be used to apply for a grant and the manner of submitting the form; deadlines for applying for the grant, disbursement of grant money, and spending grant money; guidelines for how grant money may be used; and procedures for monitoring the disbursement of grant money to ensure compliance with the bill's provisions and for the return of grant money that was not used by a county for a purpose authorized by the bill. The bill authorizes a county to apply for a grant under the program on or after January 1, 2027, and requires the comptroller to comply with the bill's requirements not later than January 1, 2027.
EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2026.
COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE While C.S.H.B. 4944 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill. The introduced established that indigent litigants include persons who are civil litigants, criminal defendants, respondents, or the subject of a legal proceeding, as well as persons having custody of a person who is a civil litigant, criminal defendant, respondent, or the subject of a civil, criminal, or juvenile matter, whereas the substitute defines "indigent litigant" as a person who meets any of the following criteria: is found by a court to be unable to afford the payment of court costs; is an eligible indigent defendant under applicable Code of Criminal Procedure provisions; is a juvenile respondent whose parent or guardian has been found indigent under applicable Family Code provisions; or is an indigent person eligible for court-appointed counsel in a suit filed by a governmental entity under applicable Family Code provisions. While both versions require a county that is awarded a grant to use or authorize the use of the grant money only to assist indigent litigants with transportation to and from court proceedings, the substitute includes provisions absent from the introduced specifying certain modes of transportation included under the requirement. The substitute makes the following changes in regard to the introduced version's specified dates: changes the date on or after which a county may apply for a county indigent litigant transportation assistance grant from January 1, 2026, as in the introduced, to January 1, 2027; changes the deadline for the comptroller to comply with the bill's requirements from January 1, 2026, as in the introduced, to January 1, 2027; and changes the bill's effective date from September 1, 2025, as in the introduced, to September 1, 2026.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The bill author has informed the committee that many financially challenged indigent litigants have great trouble in finding transportation to get to a courthouse. This could be due to a lack of access to a vehicle, insufficient resources to get transportation from a bus, or even if the party has a vehicle, there may be an inability to pay for gas. The bill author has additionally informed the committee that if a party does not appear for a hearing or has a delayed arrival, a reschedule must occur, impacting the day's docket and keeping matters pending in the administration of justice. C.S.H.B. 4944 seeks to address these issues by creating a grant program for the purpose of helping to ensure indigent litigants have transportation to and from court proceedings.
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 rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the comptroller of public accounts in SECTION 1 of this bill.
ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 4944 amends the Local Government Code to require the comptroller of public accounts to establish and administer the county indigent litigant transportation assistance grant program to support the state purpose of ensuring efficient administration of justice throughout Texas by providing financial assistance to counties that assist indigent litigants with transportation to and from court proceedings. The bill defines "indigent litigant" as a person who meets any of the following criteria:
is found by a court to be unable to afford the payment of court costs;
is an eligible indigent defendant under provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure relating to the right to representation by counsel;
is a juvenile respondent whose parent or guardian has been found indigent under provisions of the Family Code relating to the appointment of an attorney and the continuation of representation; or
is an indigent person eligible for court-appointed counsel in a suit filed by a governmental entity under provisions of the Family Code relating to suits affecting the parent-child relationship.
The bill defines "grant" as a grant authorized to be awarded by the comptroller under the bill's provisions.
C.S.H.B. 4944 authorizes a county, not later than the 30th day after the first day of the county's fiscal year but not more than once each fiscal year, to submit an application for a grant under the program to the comptroller. The bill requires the comptroller to award such a grant using money appropriated to the comptroller for that purpose. The bill requires a county that is awarded a grant to use or authorize the use of the grant money only to assist indigent litigants with transportation to and from court proceedings, including the purchase or reimbursement of bus passes, motor vehicle fuel, rideshare service charges or taxi fares, or mileage.
C.S.H.B. 4944 requires the comptroller to adopt rules necessary to implement the program, including rules that establish the following:
a standardized application process, including the form to be used to apply for a grant and the manner of submitting the form;
deadlines for applying for the grant, disbursement of grant money, and spending grant money;
guidelines for how grant money may be used; and
procedures for monitoring the disbursement of grant money to ensure compliance with the bill's provisions and for the return of grant money that was not used by a county for a purpose authorized by the bill.
The bill authorizes a county to apply for a grant under the program on or after January 1, 2027, and requires the comptroller to comply with the bill's requirements not later than January 1, 2027.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2026.
COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE
While C.S.H.B. 4944 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.
The introduced established that indigent litigants include persons who are civil litigants, criminal defendants, respondents, or the subject of a legal proceeding, as well as persons having custody of a person who is a civil litigant, criminal defendant, respondent, or the subject of a civil, criminal, or juvenile matter, whereas the substitute defines "indigent litigant" as a person who meets any of the following criteria:
is found by a court to be unable to afford the payment of court costs;
is an eligible indigent defendant under applicable Code of Criminal Procedure provisions;
is a juvenile respondent whose parent or guardian has been found indigent under applicable Family Code provisions; or
is an indigent person eligible for court-appointed counsel in a suit filed by a governmental entity under applicable Family Code provisions.
While both versions require a county that is awarded a grant to use or authorize the use of the grant money only to assist indigent litigants with transportation to and from court proceedings, the substitute includes provisions absent from the introduced specifying certain modes of transportation included under the requirement.
The substitute makes the following changes in regard to the introduced version's specified dates:
changes the date on or after which a county may apply for a county indigent litigant transportation assistance grant from January 1, 2026, as in the introduced, to January 1, 2027;
changes the deadline for the comptroller to comply with the bill's requirements from January 1, 2026, as in the introduced, to January 1, 2027; and
changes the bill's effective date from September 1, 2025, as in the introduced, to September 1, 2026.