LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE 75th Regular Session April 7, 1997 TO: Honorable Allen Place, Chair IN RE: House Bill No. 1864 Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence By: Talton House Austin, Texas FROM: John Keel, Director In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB1864 ( Relating to the eligibility of certain defendants for release on personal bond.) this office has detemined the following: Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB1864-As Introduced No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. The bill could result in significant negative fiscal implications to counties that grant personal bonds for the release of defendants, since the bill would prohibit defendants seeking personal bail bonds from communicating with personal bond offices for 48 hours after the time at which the defendant is presented to a magistrate. Travis County estimates that an additional 7,500 defendants would spend an additional 24 hours in county jail as a result of this bill at a cost of $35 each per day, for a total annual cost of $262,500. Travis County also anticipates additional costs associated with transporting those 7,500 offenders from the central booking facility to the county jail. Harris County estimates that this bill would result in the need for additional staff to perform pretrial services at a cost of $500,000 per year. The county also estimates that the bill would require 5,216 defendants to spend four additional days in jail at a cost of $47.10 per day, for a total $983,000 per year in new costs. Harris County estimates the total impact of this bill at a minimum $1.5 million per year. Dallas County and Lubbock County anticipate that this bill would have no fiscal impact, since these counties rarely grant personal bonds for the release of defendants. Source: Agencies: 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts LBB Staff: JK ,CB ,TL