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 ************************************************************************** * 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. * ************************************************************************** General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact: **************************************************** * 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) * **************************************************** All Funds, Five-Year Impact: *************************************************************************** *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) * *************************************************************************** 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