LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                                   Austin, Texas
         
                                   FISCAL NOTE
                               75th Regular Session
         
                                  March 27, 1997
         
         
      TO: Honorable Toby Goodman, Chair            IN RE:  House Bill No. 2073
          Committee on Juvenile Justice and Family Issues                              By: Hightower
          House
          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 Introduced
         
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.  In addition, 
the bill would require the agency, jointly with the Texas Youth 
Commission, to develop voluntary county pilot programs to access 
state juvenile correctional funds to provide services to delinquent 
youth at the community level.  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.  Finally, 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.

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.

Participating units of 
local government in the pilot programs would benefit by having 
greater access to state juvenile correctional funds allowing 
participating units to use these funds for providing juvenile 
probation services at the community level.  Greater access to 
state juvenile correctional funds will not have an impact on 
the state because local units would either reduce the number 
of youth committed, or pay for the commitment of a youth, to 
the Commission.

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