LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE
75th Regular Session
April 18, 1997
TO: Honorable Keith Oakley, Chair IN RE: House Bill No. 1881, Committee Report 1st House, as amended
Committee on Public Safety By: Oakley
House
Austin, Texas
FROM: John Keel, Director
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB1881 ( Relating
to the initial training and continuing education for police
chiefs.) this office has detemined the following:
Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB1881-Committee Report 1st House, as amended
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
This bill would require the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management
Institute of Texas (LEMIT) to establish and offer initial training
and continuing education programs for police chiefs. Each police
chief must receive at least 40 hours of continuing education
from LEMIT every two years. A newly appointed or elected chief
must receive at least 80 hours of initial training within the
first two years after his or her appointment or election. The
bill would also require the chief of a municipal police department
to be licensed as a police officer no later than one year after
the date the chief is appointed to the position of police chief.
Methodolgy
The Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Institute is administered
by Sam Houston State University and funded by the Bill Blackwood
Law Enforcement Management Institute Fund. Training and continuing
education costs for all eligible participants who are Texas
residents must be paid from the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement
Management Institute Fund (Blackwood Fund). Covered costs
include tuition, books, rooms, board and travel costs. Revenue
for this fund is generated by court costs collected from persons
convicted of criminal offenses including moving traffic violations.
Currently
LEMIT offers a training program similar the one outlined in
this bill. However, this program is exclusively for newly appointed
chiefs. It is assumed that LEMIT would offer continuing education
programs to 400 chiefs each year. In addition, initial training
would be offered to 100 new chiefs each year.
In Fiscal
Year 1996, $1.75 million in revenue was generated for the Blackwood
Fund. Training and continuing education costs for participants
was $2.10 million. The remaining expenditures were paid with
prior year balances. The net cash balance of the Blackwood
Fund at August 31, 1996 was $1.15 million. The estimated increase
in costs for the additional police chief training is $590,908
per year. Increased revenue to the Blackwood Fund may be necessary
to cover the additional costs.
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 Change in Number
Savings/(Cost) of State
from Bill Employees from
Blackwood Law FY 1997
Enforcement
Management Inst
Account/
GR-Dedicated
0581
1998 ($595,908) 2.0
1998 (590,908) 2.0
2000 (590,908) 2.0
2001 (590,908) 2.0
2002 (590,908) 2.0
Net Impact on General Revenue Related Funds:
Fiscal Year Probable Net Postive/(Negative)
General Revenue Related Funds
Funds
1998 $0
1999 0
2000 0
2001 0
2002 0
Similar annual fiscal implications would continue as long as
the provisions of the bill are in effect.
If units of local government are currently funding the costs
of training and continuing education costs for Police Chiefs,
the units could realize a cost savings. However, no significant
fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source: Agencies:
753 Sam Houston State University
LBB Staff: JK ,CB ,DB