LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                          Austin, Texas

                           FISCAL NOTE
                       74th Regular Session

                          March 15, 1995



 TO:     Honorable John T. Montford, Chair      IN RE:  Senate Bill No. 279
         Committee on Finance                           By: Brown
         Senate
         Austin, Texas







FROM: John Keel, Director

In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on Senate Bill No.
279 (Relating to the identification of inmates of the Texas
Department of Criminal Justice who are undocumented aliens.) 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 implement part of Texas Performance Review --
Gaining Ground recommendation PSC2.  The bill would require the
Texas Department of Criminal Justice to determine the citizenship
status of inmates.  The bill would require the Department of
Criminal Justice to notify the Immigration and Naturalization
Service of any inmates  determined to be undocumented aliens.  It
would also require the Department to develop a system of
deporting undocumented aliens upon eligibility for parole or
release on mandatory supervision.

The revenue assumptions below are based upon the Comptroller's
estimate of increased federal funds becoming available to Texas
to compensate the state for the incarceration of illegal aliens. 
The amount of federal funds below is less than previously
identified in Gaining Ground because this bill would not include
offenders sentenced to substance abuse felony punishment
facilities. 

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 Revenue 
             Year   Gain  - Federal  
                       Funds 555     
                                     
          1996             $9,695,000
          1997             16,413,000
                                     
          1998             13,521,000
                                     
          1999             14,040,000
          2000             13,224,000
                                     
                                     
                                     







Similar annual fiscal implications would continue as long as the
provisions of the bill are in effect.

Fiscal implications to units of local government cannot be
determined.




Source:   Comptroller of Public Accounts, Department of Criminal
Justice
          LBB Staff: JK, BL, DF