LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE 74th Regular Session May 9, 1995 TO: Honorable Bob Bullock Honorable Pete Laney Lieutenant Governor Speaker of the House Senate Chamber House of Representatives Austin, Texas Austin, Texas IN RE: Conference Committee Report for Senate Bill No. 60 FROM: John Keel, Director In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on Senate Bill No. 60 ( Relating to the issuance of a license to carry a concealed handgun; requiring of an applicant for the license a handgun proficiency and safety training course and a criminal background check; providing penalties.) 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. The bill would authorize the licensing of a person to carry a concealed handgun. The Department of Public Safety would license applicants meeting the criteria established in the bill, and would adopt rules for the administration of the act. All applicants would be required to submit certain proof of identification as required by the bill, including two sets of classifiable fingerprints taken by a law enforcement agency. Applicants would be required to submit a handgun proficiency certificate distributed to the applicant upon successful completion of a handgun proficiency course. The bill requires license holders to receive continuing education not more than six months before the date of application for renewal. The bill requires the Department of Public Safety to establish requirements for the certification of qualified handgun instructors and establishes a $100.00 certification fee for instructors. Certified instructors are authorized to issue handgun proficiency certificates to persons who meet the training and proficiency requirements specified by the Department of Public Safety. The bill would establish a $140.00 nonrefundable application fee, $25.00 modification fee, $25.00 duplicate fee, and authorizes the Department to establish a renewal fee sufficient to cover the cost of processing the renewal application. The bill would create a special account within the general revenue fund known as the Concealed Handgun License Account. The bill would require the Comptroller of Public Accounts to transfer all revenue in excess of amounts necessary for the administration of the provisions of the bill to the Crime Victims Compensation Account. The department would be authorized to set renewal fees in an amount necessary to defray costs. It is assumed that all fees collected during the 1996-97 biennium would be appropriated to the department for administration of the act. 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 Revenue Probable Revenue Year of the Concealed Gain to the Gain to GR Handgun Account in Concealed Handgun Consolidated - the General Account in the Crime Victims Comp Revenue Fund General Revenue Fd 469 Fund 1996 $11,342,563 $8,086,000 $0 1997 5,994,466 9,271,000 0 1998 5,707,013 5,707,013 3,158,987 1999 5,792,416 5,792,416 1,438,584 2000 5,824,580 5,824,580 3,434,920 Fiscal Change in Year Number of State Employees from FY 1995 1996 101.0 1997 101.0 1998 101.0 1999 101.0 2000 101.0 Similar annual fiscal implications would continue as long as the provisions of the bill are in effect. The fiscal implication to units of local government cannot be determined. Source: Comptroller of Public Accounts, Department of Public Safety LBB Staff: JK, BL, DF