LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                          Austin, Texas

                           FISCAL NOTE
                       74th Regular Session

                          April 4, 1995



 TO:     Honorable John Whitmire, Chair         IN RE:  House Bill No. 327,
         Committee on Criminal Justice                         as engrossed
         Senate                                         By: Goodman, et al.
         Austin, Texas







FROM: John Keel, Director

In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on House Bill No.
327 (Relating to the juvenile justice system; providing for the
enhancement of penalties; providing criminal penalties for adults
and children.) this office has determined the following:

The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal
basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions
of the bill.

This bill would amend Title 3 of the Family Code and Chapter 61
of the Human Resources Code by:

*     Requiring law enforcement records of juveniles offenders by
sent to a central state
       depository.

*     Allowing each juvenile probation department to implement a
progressive sanctions program
       under the direction of the Texas Juvenile Probation
Department.

*     Expanding the sentenced juvenile offender statute to
include new offenses.

*     Lowering the minimum age for certification and transfer to
adult court.

*    Allowing the fingerprinting and photographing of juveniles
referred to juvenile court for    




      certain offenses.
 
*     Creating new Child in Need of Supervision and Delinquent
offenses.

*     Requiring the Texas Youth Commission to accept mentally
retarded delinquents in
       appropriate correctional  facilities with the Texas
Department of Mental Health
       and Mental Retardation providing treatment services.


The cost of implementing the progressive sanctions model would
depend of the decision of each individual juvenile probation
department and therefore cannot be determined.  Cost estimates
for the Texas Youth Commission assumes the commission will
convert a number of units currently operated by the Texas
Department of Criminal Justice into juvenile facilities.

House Bill 1, the General Appropriations Act, contains $4 million
for implementing the juvenile justice database and tracking
system.

The probable fiscal implication of implementing the provisions of
the bill during each of the first  five years following passage
is estimated as follows:
     



            Fiscal  Probable Cost Out        Probable       Probable Costs for 
             Year      of  General      Construction Costs   Debt Service out  
                         Revenue           From General       of the General   
                         Fund 001        Obligation Bonds    Revenue Fund 001  
                                                                               
          1996              $3,194,200         $14,761,812             $738,090
          1997              26,261,432                   0            1,476,181
                                                                               
          1998              46,258,903                   0            1,476,181
                                                                               
          1999              60,900,269                   0            1,476,181
          2000              71,809,544                   0            1,476,181
                                                                               
                                                                               
                                                                               
            Fiscal  Probable Cost Out      Change in   
             Year   of Federal Funds    Number of State
                           555          Employees from 
                                            FY 1995    
                                                       
          1996                      $0               .0
          1997                 209,915            208.0
                                                       
          1998                 973,627            896.0
                                                       
          1999               1,285,151           1021.0
          2000               1,647,151           1021.0
                                                       
                                                       
                                                       
       Similar annual fiscal implications would continue as long as the
provisions of the bill are in effect.




Source:   Department of Public Safety, Texas Department of Mental
Health and Mental    




                          Retardation, Juvenile Probation
Commission, Youth Commission
          LBB Staff: JK, RT, RR