LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 88TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 24, 2023

TO:
Honorable Joe Moody, Chair, House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
 
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB261 by Cortez (Relating to the punishment for the offense of burglary of a vehicle.), As Introduced

Increasing the penalty for an existing offense may result in increased demands upon state correctional resources due to a possible increase in the number of individuals placed under supervision in the community or sentenced to a term of confinement. The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined due to the lack of data to estimate the prevalence of conduct outlined in the bill's provisions that would be subject to increased criminal penalties.

The bill would increase the penalty for burglary of a vehicle from a Class A misdemeanor to a state jail felony if the actor possessed a firearm during the commission of the offense, committed theft of a firearm during the commission of the offense, used a stolen vehicle to facilitate the commission of the offense, or committed the offense with respect to two or more vehicles during the same criminal transaction or during different criminal transactions but pursuant to the same scheme or course of conduct. 

The impact on state correctional populations or on the demand for state correctional resources cannot be determined due to the lack of data to estimate the prevalence of conduct outlined in the bill's provisions that would be subject to increased criminal penalties.

Local Government Impact

While the fiscal impact cannot be determined, increasing the penalty for an existing offense may result in increased demands upon local correctional resources due to a possible increase in the number of individuals placed under supervision in the community or sentenced to a term of confinement.


Source Agencies:
212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council
LBB Staff:
JMc, DDel, LBO, MGol