LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE
75th Regular Session
March 11, 1997
TO: Honorable Allen Hightower, Chair IN RE: House Bill No. 819
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-As Introduced
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 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 operate and manage TDCJ's programs that
are designed for the primary purpose of rehabilitating inmates
and successfully reintegrating inmates into the community after
release from imprisonment.
The bill would also define the
primary and secondary purposes of TDCJ's prison industries office,
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 development of 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
It is estimated 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: 410 Criminal Justice Policy Council
304 Comptroller of Public Accounts
753 Sam Houston State University
696 Department of Criminal Justice
320 Texas Workforce Commission
LBB Staff: JK ,CB ,JN