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

SPONSOR Vigíl

DATE TYPED 2/15/05

HB 926

SHORT TITLE Las Vegas and Pecos District Attorney Offices

SB

ANALYST Medina

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

$155.6

Indeterminate Recurring

General

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates House Bill 809

Relates to Appropriation in the General Appropriation Act

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Not Received From

Administrative Office of the District Attorneys (AODA)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 926 appropriates $155.6 from the general fund to the Fourth Judicial District Attor-

ney for the purpose of increasing staff and to open a district attorney office in Pecos and creating

a new special programs director position at the DA’s office in Las Vegas.

Significant Issues

This bill would appropriate $55.7 for salary and benefits for an assistant trial attorney in Pecos,

$35.7 for a secretary in Pecos, and $65.2 for a special programs director in Las Vegas. According

to AODA’s analysis of HB 809, staffing an office in Pecos will offset the current caseload in the

Las Vegas office and the Fourth DA would be able to better serve the citizens of the district.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

An additional attorney in the Fourth Judicial District Attorney’s Office would decrease the aver-

age attorney caseload.

House Bill 926 -- Page 2

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $155.6 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any

unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2006 shall revert to the

general fund.

Continuing Appropriations

The LFC FY06 appropriation recommendation is balanced between revenues and expenditures

and any increase in recurring funding must be offset by reductions in other areas of the recom-

mendation. The Legislature must consider all priorities and funding requirements to find reve-

nue to support this legislation.

DUPLICATION

This bill duplicates House Bill 809, except that the appropriations in this bill are rounded to the

nearest cent, while House Bill 809’s appropriations are rounded to the nearest dollar amount.

TECHNICAL ISSUES

The counties are required by statute to provide office space for the district attorneys. This bill

does not address the issue of office space nor additional supplies and equipment for the proposed

new employees.

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL.

The Fourth Judicial District Attorney’s Office will continue to be staffed at the current level,

without an office in Pecos.

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS

How many cases per year does the DA prosecute that involve working in Pecos.

DXM/yr