LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE
75th Regular Session
April 24, 1997
TO: Honorable Allen Hightower, Chair IN RE: House Bill No. 819, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
Committee on Corrections By: Cuellar
House
Austin, Texas
FROM: John Keel, Director
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB819 ( Relating
to reducing the recidivism rate for individuals under the supervision
of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.) this office has
detemined the following:
Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB819-Committee Report 1st House, Substituted FN Revision 1
Implementing the provisions of the bill would result in a net
impact of $0 to General Revenue Related Funds through the biennium
ending August 31, 1999.
The fiscal note is being revised
because the committee vote was reconsidered. The revision does
not contain any change in the fiscal implications.
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 amend the Government Code to statutorily create
a programs and services division within the Texas Department
of Criminal Justice (TDCJ). The programs and services division
would be required to administer TDCJ's programs that are designed
for the primary purpose of rehabilitating inmates.
The bill
would also provide criteria to the Board of Criminal Justice
for selection of Industry Advisory Committee members, provide
criteria to TDCJ as to which inmates to assign to the prison
factories, require the Criminal Justice Policy Council to develop
methods for measuring the success of certain agency programs,
require TDCJ and the Texas Workforce Commission to adopt a memorandum
of understanding that establishes their respective responsibilities
for providing released inmates with certain education and employment
services, and require the State Council on Competitive Government
to conduct a comprehensive review of services provided by the
prison industries office.
Methodolgy
The bill would partially implement Texas Performance Review
(TPR) recommendation PSC 1 in Disturbing the Peace: The Challenge
of Change in Texas Government. The TPR estimates that implementing
the provisions of the bill would lower the recidivism of adults
leaving the correctional system by at least five percent. This
would result in eventual savings to the state because certain
prison costs would not be incurred in the future for those inmates.
The probable fiscal implications of implementing the provisions
of the bill during each of the first five years following passage
is estimated as follows:
Five Year Impact:
Fiscal Year Probable
Savings/(Cost)
from General
Revenue Fund
0001
1998 $0
1998 0
2000 0
2001 4,340,000
2002 5,717,000
Net Impact on General Revenue Related Funds:
The probable fiscal implication to General Revenue related funds
during each of the first five years is estimated as follows:
Fiscal Year Probable Net Postive/(Negative)
General Revenue Related Funds
Funds
1998 $0
1999 0
2000 0
2001 4,340,000
2002 5,717,000
Similar annual fiscal implications would continue as long as
the provisions of the bill are in effect.
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government
is anticipated.
Source: Agencies: 696 Department of Criminal Justice
304 Comptroller of Public Accounts
LBB Staff: JK ,CB ,JN