LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE 75th Regular Session March 27, 1997 TO: Honorable Allen Hightower, Chair IN RE: House Bill No. 547, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted Committee on Corrections By: Culberson House Austin, Texas FROM: John Keel, Director In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB547 ( Relating to the eligibility for release on parole of certain violent inmates serving sentences for violent offenses.) this office has detemined the following: Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB547-Committee Report 1st House, Substituted 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. The bill would amend the Code of Criminal Procedure by requiring certain violent offenders to serve 85 percent of the sentence imposed in actual calendar time before being eligible for release on parole. Under current law and policy, the average time served in prison by persons likely to be affected by the provisions of this bill is greater than five years. Therefore, no significant impact on the demands of adult corrections agencies is anticipated during the first five years following passage. Under current parole policy, persons affected by the provisions of the bill are expected to serve approximately 85% of the their sentences, therefore, the impact of the bill beyond the five-year period is not likely to be substantial. Passage of the bill may also help qualify Texas for federal "truth-in-sentencing" prison grants, which require passage of an 85 percent sentencing law. However, these federal grants may only be used for the construction or expansion of prison facilities and may not be used to replace existing state appropriations. Since passage of the bill is not expected to necessitate a system expansion, the state may not be able to identify an immediate use for these federal funds in the adult corrections system. No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated. Source: Agencies: LBB Staff: JK ,CB ,GG