LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                                   Austin, Texas
         
                                   FISCAL NOTE
                               75th Regular Session
         
                                  April 25, 1997
         
         
      TO: Honorable John Whitmire, Chair            IN RE:  House Bill No. 2073, As Engrossed
          Committee on Criminal Justice                              By: Hightower
          Senate
          Austin, Texas
         
         
         
         
         FROM:  John Keel, Director    
         
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB2073 ( Relating 
to the continuation and functions of the Texas Juvenile Probation 
Commission.) this office has detemined the following:
         
         Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB2073-As Engrossed
         
Implementing the provisions of the bill would result in no fiscal 
implication 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 Implications

The bill would provide 
for the continuation of the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission 
for the standard 12-year Sunset review cycle.  The bill would 
also require the use of sound performance-based contracting 
practices by county juvenile probation departments and the application 
for, when cost-effective, federal Medicaid benefits.  

The 
bill would require county juvenile probation departments to 
use a standard assessment tool, approved by the Texas Juvenile 
Probation Commission, for the initial assessment of children 
in the juvenile justice system and to adopt specific standards 
and performance measures for county juvenile probation departments. 
 It would also require county, municipal, and private correctional 
facilities holding out-of-state juvenile inmates to operate 
in compliance with minimum standards adopted by the commission.

Methodology

The 
Texas Juvenile Probation Commission is subject to the provisions 
of the Texas Sunset Act.  Funding for the agency is included 
in the General Appropriations Act, as introduced.  The appropriations 
would be financed from the General Revenue Fund and would provide 
$65,034,480 annually for fiscal years 1998 and 1999, providing 
for 36 employees each fiscal year.

No significant fiscal 
implication to units of local government is anticipated.
          
   Source:            Agencies:   665   Juvenile Probation Commission
                                         116   Sunset Advisory Commission
                                         
                      LBB Staff:   JK ,CB ,RT