LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE 74th Regular Session April 28, 1995 TO: Honorable John Whitmire, Chair IN RE: Committee Substitute Committee on Criminal Justice for Senate Senate Bill Austin, Texas No. 1135 FROM: John Keel, Director In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on Senate Bill No. 1135 (relating to the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education) this office has determined the following: The bill would add to or amend several sections of the Government Code dealing with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (TCLEOSE). The bill would require the commission to establish minimum curriculum requirements for certain schools that are subject to the commission's approval. The bill would provide additional requirements for continuing education programs. The bill would establish a reporting process for resignation and termination of officers and county jailers. The bill would increase the amount of the court costs currently designated for deposit to the law enforcement standards and education fund and the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas fund account. The bill would increase the court cost to $3.50 from $1.50. The costs collected under this bill would be deposited in the state treasury, with $1 to be credited to the Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education Fund for administrative expenses, $2 to be credited to the Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education Fund for expenses related to continuing education and the remaining 50 cents would be deposited as required by current law. The bill would recreate the Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education Fund as a special fund in the state treasury. The bill would require the Comptroller to allocate the money deposited to the Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education Fund during the preceding calendar year. The money would be allocated to local law enforcement agencies in the state, based on a formula provided for the allocation. Money received by the local agency would be subject to Comptroller audit and all money expended would be subject to audit by the State Auditor. In addition, the county or municipality with jurisdiction over the agency would be required to annually conduct an audit of the law enforcement agency and send the results of the audit to the Comptroller. The bill would become effective on September 1, 1995 and the increase in court costs would apply only to an offense committed on or after that date. There would be an additional gain to the recreated Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education Fund from the revenue which currently goes into the consolidated account in the General Revenue Fund ($1 of the current court fee is deposited into the consolidated account). The law enforcement officer standards and education account and its revenue sources are currently scheduled to lose their dedications on August 31, 1995. The balance in the law enforcement officer standards and education account would remain in the General Revenue Fund because the effective date of the bill is September 1, 1995. 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 Probable Revenue Certification Loss Year Administrative Gain to Law Cost Out of Law Officer Officer Standards Standards & & Education Fund Education 116 Fund 116 GR Consolidated 1996 $105,675 $8,400,000 $3,600,000 1997 96,675 10,800,000 3,600,000 1998 96,675 10,800,000 3,600,000 1999 96,675 10,800,000 3,600,000 2000 96,675 10,800,000 3,600,000 Fiscal Change in Year Number of State Employees from FY 1995 1996 3.0 1997 3.0 1998 3.0 1999 3.0 2000 3.0 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, Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education LBB Staff: JK, BL, RR