LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
March 19, 1999
TO: Honorable Bob Turner, Chair, House Committee on Public
Safety
FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: HB1432 by Grusendorf (Relating to the authority of the
Texas Department of Public Safety to charge a fee for
processing certain inquiries for certain sex offender
registration information.), As Introduced
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* Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for *
* HB1432, As Introduced: negative impact of $(193,500) through the *
* biennium ending August 31, 2001. *
* *
* The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal *
* basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of *
* the bill. *
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General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:
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* Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) *
* Impact to General Revenue Related *
* Funds *
* 2000 $(100,500) *
* 2001 (93,000) *
* 2002 (93,000) *
* 2003 (93,000) *
* 2004 (93,000) *
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All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
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*Fiscal Probable Savings/(Cost) from Probable Revenue Gain/(Loss) *
* Year General Revenue Fund from General Revenue Fund *
* 0001 0001 *
* 2000 $(52,500) $(48,000) *
* 2001 (45,000) (48,000) *
* 2002 (45,000) (48,000) *
* 2003 (45,000) (48,000) *
* 2004 (45,000) (48,000) *
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Technology Impact
All costs associated with the bill are attributable to technology impact.
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would prohibit the Department of Public Safety from charging
actual costs for processing inquiries for sex offender registration
information made through the Internet. Specified fees would be
continued for inquiries for criminal history information.
Methodology
Currently, the Department of Public Safety provides sex offender
registration information in combination with criminal history records at
a charge of $3.15 for inquiries through the Internet. The Department
receives only $1.00 of the total fee for the Internet service. The
records are made available through a private contract vendor. The
current vendor hardware and software would have to be upgraded and
modified to separate the criminal history and sex offender registration
information systems ($7,500 one time cost). Increases in monthly
operating costs are anticipated due to bandwidth upgrades and monthly
maintenance of database records, new data, and technical assistance to
customers ($45,000/year). Revenue loss is based on a projected 4,000
inquiries per month for sex offender records. The estimated General
Revenue loss is $48,000/year (4,000 inquiries/month x 12 months x
$1.00/inquiry).
Local Government Impact
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
LBB Staff: JK, MD, BP, VS