LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE 75th Regular Session May 14, 1997 TO: Honorable John Whitmire, Chair IN RE: House Bill No. 972, As Engrossed Committee on Criminal Justice By: Jones,Jesse Senate Austin, Texas FROM: John Keel, Director In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB972 ( Relating to systems for providing access to driver's license record information held by the Department of Public Safety.) this office has detemined the following: Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB972-As Engrossed Implementing the provisions of the bill would result in a net positive impact of $8,819,000 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 allow the Department of Public Safety to establish a system to provide interactive access to certain driver record information by entities other than law enforcement agencies and authorizes the Department to accept and process requests for information from the National Driver Register concerning individual drivers. The bill would set a fee for these services and establish a special account in the General Revenue Fund for the administration of the program. Methodolgy The bill contains two provisions dealing with the interactive driver's license information system. The first provision would establish different fees depending on the information requested and dedicate a portion to the Department in a special General Revenue Account for the administration of the system. Based on the experience in states with a similar system and number of drivers, it is estimated the system would process 1 million requests per year. The second provision of the bill authorizes the Department to process request for information from the National Driver Register system. If all commercially employed drivers request NDR checks bi-annually, this would generate an estimated 586,000 requests for information each year. 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 Probable Revenue Probable Revenue Change in Number Savings/(Cost) Gain/(Loss) from Gain/(Loss) from of State from New - GR New - GR Dedicated General Revenue Employees from Dedicated Fund FY 1997 NEW-DED NEW-DED 0001 1998 ($348,764) $500,000 $4,362,000 9.0 1998 (298,501) 500,000 4,457,000 9.0 2000 (376,585) 500,000 4,552,000 12.0 2001 (373,218) 500,000 4,647,000 12.0 2002 (453,053) 500,000 4,742,000 15.0 Net Impact on General Revenue Related Funds: Fiscal Year Probable Net Postive/(Negative) General Revenue Related Funds Funds 1998 $4,362,000 1999 4,457,000 2000 4,552,000 2001 4,647,000 2002 4,742,000 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: 405 Department of Public Safety LBB Staff: JK ,CB ,RS ,RT