What is the Status of the County Auditor Indigent Defense Expenditure Reporting Form?
OCA is responsible for prescribing the manner and form in which this data is to be reported, and forwarding this data to the Task Force on Indigent Defense for consideration. The Task Force will be formed as soon as practical after January 1, 2002. The first set of indigent defense financial data to be reported to OCA is due September 1, 2002. Representatives from the Office of Court Administration (OCA), the Texas Association of Counties (TAC), and the Texas Association of County Auditors (TACA) are collaborating to discuss and to identify issues regarding the data reporting requirements of the Fair Defense Act. Although the legislation itself identifies certain expenditure data to be reported to OCA, there are a number of issues that require the attention of the Task Force before a form and instructions can be adequately prepared and distributed to county officials. As soon as the issues associated with the reporting requirements are addressed and the Task Force has approved a form,
