LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                                   Austin, Texas
         
                                   FISCAL NOTE
                               75th Regular Session
         
                                  May 15, 1997
         
         
      TO: Honorable John Whitmire, Chair            IN RE:  House Bill No. 3062, Committee Report 2nd House, as amended
          Committee on Criminal Justice                              By: Hightower
          Senate
          Austin, Texas
         
         
         
         
         FROM:  John Keel, Director    
         
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB3062 ( Relating 
to comprehensive revisions to Subchapter B, Chapter 56, Code 
of Criminal Procedure, the Crime Victims' Compensation Act.) 
this office has detemined the following:
         
         Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB3062-Committee Report 2nd House, as amended
         
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
         

         
 
          
The bill would amend Subchapter B, Chapter 56, Code of Criminal 
Procedure, the Crime Victims Compensation Act, in order to expand 
benefits to victims of crime and their families, to increase 
the limit on the maximum benefits, to establish a carry forward 
balance, and to create an emergency reserve.

The Office of 
the Attorney General anticipates that the bill would result 
in an increase in claims and workload, but that this could be 
absorbed with current funding.

The proposed increase in payments 
to crime victims and their families could be absorbed by the 
excess fund balance in the Compensation to Victims of Crime 
Fund without requiring additional appropriation authority.  
The bill would also allow a reserve fund to be created from 
the excess balance of the Compensation to Victims of Crime Fund, 
for victims of mass violence and terrorism, the amount not to 
exceed $10,000,000.

No fiscal implication to units of local 
government is anticipated.
          
   Source:            Agencies:   
                                         
                      LBB Staff:   JK ,CB ,JC