LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                                   Austin, Texas
         
                                   FISCAL NOTE
                               75th Regular Session
         
                                  March 24, 1997
         
         
      TO: Honorable Allen Hightower, Chair            IN RE:  House Bill No. 104
          Committee on Corrections                              By: Greenberg
          House
          Austin, Texas
         
         
         
         
         FROM:  John Keel, Director    
         
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB104 ( Relating 
to the punishment and eligibility for release on parole of criminal 
defendants who commit certain sexual offenses and sexually assaultive 
offenses.) this office has detemined the following:
         
         Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB104-As Introduced
         
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
         

         
 
          
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal 
basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions 
of the bill.

Fiscal Analysis

The bill would end parole 
eligibility for offenders convicted of certain repeat sex offenses. 
 The bill would apply to offenders who commit offenses on or 
after September 1, 1997.  

Methodology

There would be 
no significant fiscal impact during the first five years following 
the effective date of the bill.  However, after 10 years of 
cumulative impact, additional operating costs would total $2,036,418 
per year.  

Included in the estimated costs is a projected 
savings of $105,676 per year in parole operating costs.

Costs 
of incarceration are estimated on the basis of $37.50 per inmate 
per day, reflecting approximate costs of either operating state 
facilities or contracting with other entities.  No costs are 
included for prison construction.  Options available to address 
the increased demand for prison capacity that would result from 
implementation of the bill include construction of new prisons 
and contracting with counties or private entities.

No significant 
fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
          
   Source:            Agencies:   
                                         
                      LBB Staff:   JK ,CB ,GG