LEGISLATIVE SERVICES AGENCY
OFFICE OF FISCAL AND MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS
200 W. Washington St., Suite 301
Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 233-0696
iga.in.gov
FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT
LS 6581 NOTE PREPARED: Dec 10, 2020
BILL NUMBER: HB 1481 BILL AMENDED:
SUBJECT: Malicious False Reporting.
FIRST AUTHOR: Rep. Pryor BILL STATUS: As Introduced
FIRST SPONSOR:
FUNDS AFFECTED: X GENERAL IMPACT: State & Local
X DEDICATED
FEDERAL
Summary of Legislation: This bill allows a person to bring a civil action and obtain relief against another
person for malicious false reporting.
Effective Date: July 1, 2021.
Explanation of State Expenditures:
Explanation of State Revenues: Court Fee Revenue: If additional civil actions occur and court fees are
collected, revenue to the state General Fund may increase. A civil costs fee of $100 would be assessed when
a civil case is filed, 70% of which would be deposited in the state General Fund if the case is filed in a court
of record or 55% if the case is filed in a city or town court.
In addition, some or all of the judicial salaries fee ($20), public defense administration fee ($5), court
administration fee ($5), and the judicial insurance adjustment fee ($1) are deposited into the state General
Fund. Revenue from the pro bono services fee ($1) is transferred by the State Auditor to the Indiana Bar
Foundation for use to assist with pro bono legal services programs in Indiana, and proceeds from the
automated record keeping fee ($20) are deposited into the State User Fee Fund.
Additional fees may be collected at the discretion of the judge and depending upon the particular type of
case.
Explanation of Local Expenditures:
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Explanation of Local Revenues: Court Fee Revenue: If additional civil actions occur, local governments
would receive revenue from the following sources. The county general fund would receive 27% of the $100
civil costs fee that is assessed in a court of record. Cities and towns maintaining a law enforcement agency
that prosecutes at least 50% of its ordinance violations in a court of record may receive 3% of court fees. If
the case is filed in a city or town court, 20% of the court fee would be deposited in the county general fund
and 25% would be deposited in the city or town general fund. Additional fees may be collected at the
discretion of the judge, depending upon the particular type of case.
Persons filing a civil case are also required to pay the following fees that are deposited in local funds.
The document storage fee ($5) is deposited into the clerk record perpetuation fund.
The following fees are deposited into the general fund of the county in which the court is located:
• Document fees ($1 per page) are charged for preparing transcripts or copies of record or certificate
under seal.
• A civil garnishee defendant service fee ($10) is collected from the filing party for each defendant
beyond the first three garnishee defendants cited in the lawsuit.
State Agencies Affected:
Local Agencies Affected: Trial courts, city and town courts.
Information Sources: Indiana Code.
Fiscal Analyst: Mark Goodpaster, 317-232-9852.
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