FISCAL NOTE
FUND(S):
0226
Sources of Revenue:
General Fund
Legislation creates:
Neither Program nor Fund
Fiscal Note Summary
Effect this measure will have on costs and revenues of state government.
THe bill creates an Indigent Defense Commission to set standards in appointed cases, review Public Defender Corporation work and authorize the creation or merger of Public Defender offices.
The Commission is comprised of seven persons. We have included sufficient funds to allow for travel, rented meeting space (if necessary) and refreshments, based on the assumption that the majority of members will have travel expenses and that meetings may have to be held in different venues to accomodate members.
If the Commission authorizes more Public Defender offices, the projection is taht those offices will result in a net savings to the state of $650,000 in FY 2009, assuming that the case loads remain constant. If either the mix of cases (felonies, misdemeanors, abuse and neglect, etc.) or the number of cases changes substantially, this estimate may not be accurate.
Fiscal Note Detail
| Effect of Proposal |
Fiscal Year |
2007
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
2008
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
Fiscal Year
(Upon Full
Implementation) |
| 1. Estmated Total Cost |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Personal Services |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Current Expenses |
0 |
13,000 |
0 |
| Repairs and Alterations |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Assets |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Other |
0 |
0 |
-650,000 |
| 2. Estimated Total Revenues |
0 |
13,000 |
-650,000 |
Explanation of above estimates (including long-range effect):
(see above)
Note that no savings are predicted during the startup year of FY 2008. The time necessary for appointing Commission members and getting local Public Defender Corporation Boards appointed will result in Corporations being unlikely to function in FY 2008 for more than a few months.
In addition, for several months during the startup period, private counsels' cases in progress will be billed and new cases taken simultaneously by Public Defender offices. The dealy and this overlap will prevent any savings in FY 2008.
In FY 2009, if all offices are opened for the full fiscal year, savings can be estimated. Additional savings may result if attornesy are willing to contract wiht Public Defender Corporations for a lesser sum than they would otherwise receive via normal private counsel billings.
Memorandum
Person submitting Fiscal Note: Jack Rogers, Executive Director
Email Address: jrogers@wvpds.org