LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                                   Austin, Texas
         
                                   FISCAL NOTE
                               75th Regular Session
         
                                  May 29, 1997
         
         
      TO: Honorable Bob Bullock            Honorable James E. "Pete" Laney
          Lieutenant Governor                Speaker of the House
          Senate
          Austin, Texas
         
         
         
         
         FROM:  John Keel, Director    
         
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB2918 ( Relating 
to the extension of a period of supervision under community 
supervision for a defendant charged with or convicted of certain 
sexual or sexually assaultive offenses, to the supervision of 
certain defendants and inmates on community supervision, parole, 
or mandatory supervision, to the publication of notice under 
the sex offender registration program, and to the classification 
of inmates in the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal 
Justice on the basis of need for treatment.) this office has 
detemined the following:
         
         Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB2918-Conference Committee Report   FN Revision 1
         
Implementing the provisions of the bill would result in a net 
negative impact of $(19,082,509) to General Revenue Related 
Funds through the biennium ending August 31, 1999.
         

         
 
Fiscal Analysis
 
The bill would amend the Code of Criminal Procedure by requiring 
the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) to establish 
a program to provide super-intensive supervision to inmates 
released on parole or mandatory supervision and determined by 
parole panels to require super-intensive supervision.

The 
bill would also give a judge discretionary authority to extend 
the period of community supervision for certain sex offenders, 
any time during the offender's supervision term, for a period 
not to exceed 10 additional years. Current law allows for extensions 
of community supervision, but the total community supervision 
period for felony cases may not exceed 10 years.

The bill 
would take effect September 1, 1997.
 
Methodolgy
 
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice estimates a 1998-99 
biennial cost of $19.1 million to establish and implement a 
program that provides super-intensive supervision in accordance 
with the provisions of the bill. The program would include additional 
community residential facilities beds, electronic monitoring, 
and additional parole officers for 1:20 caseload ratios. On-going 
fiscal year operating costs for program continuation would be 
approximately $12.1 million.

Regarding the bill's provisions 
giving authority to judges to extend community supervision, 
the bill would affect only offenders committing offenses after 
September 1, 1997; therefore, no impact as a result of these 
provisions would occur until 10 years following passage. Increased 
community supervision costs to the Texas Department of Criminal 
Justice after 10 years from the effective date of the bill would 
be contingent upon local sentencing practices.
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 General       Employees from                                                             
            Revenue Fund       FY 1997                                                                    
            0001                                                                                           
       1998      ($6,993,696)             110.0                                                      
       1998      (12,088,813)             201.0                                                      
       2000      (12,088,813)             201.0                                                      
       2001      (12,088,813)             201.0                                                      
       2002      (12,088,813)             201.0                                                      
 
 
         Net Impact on General Revenue Related Funds:
 

 
              Fiscal Year      Probable Net Postive/(Negative)
                               General Revenue Related Funds
                                             Funds
               1998         ($6,993,696)
               1999         (12,088,813)
               2000         (12,088,813)
               2001         (12,088,813)
               2002         (12,088,813)
 
Similar annual fiscal implications would continue as long as 
the provisions of the bill are in effect.
          
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government 
is anticipated.
          
   Source:            Agencies:   
                                         696   Department of Criminal Justice
                      LBB Staff:   JK ,CB ,JN