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