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