LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                          Austin, Texas

                           FISCAL NOTE
                       74th Regular Session

                          March 27, 1995



 TO:     Honorable Allen Hightower, Chair       IN RE:  House Bill No. 2162
         Committee on Corrections                       By: Hightower
         House of Representatives
         Austin, Texas






FROM: John Keel, Director

In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on House Bill No.
2162 (relating to the efficient administration of the criminal
justice system) this office has determined the following:

The bill would amend the Penal Code, Government Code, and Code of
Criminal Procedure by:

- increasing the punishment for certain assault offenses from
Class A misdemeanors to felonies of the third degree;

- eliminating the 12 month limit for which certain inmates may be
confined in a transfer facility; and

- repealing current law which prohibits the use of state jails
for the transfer of inmates from the jail backlog after August
31, 1997.

Under current law the use of state jails for the transfer of
inmates from the jail backlog is prohibited after August 31,
1997.  Projections by the Criminal Justice Policy Council
indicate that this prohibition will result in approximately
17,000 unused state jail beds by September, 1997, and a
corresponding increase in the county jail backlog of paper-ready
felons.  Any changes proposed by the Seventy-fourth Legislature
regarding the use of state jails would impact future capacity
requirements.


The fiscal implication to the State or units of local government
cannot be determined.    




 
Source:
          LBB Staff: JK, BP, GG, RR