LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
May 10, 1999
TO: Honorable Rodney Ellis, Chair, Senate Committee on
Jurisprudence
FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: HB2947 by Goodman (Relating to the disposition of
children adjudicated as having engaged in delinquent
conduct.), As Engrossed
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* Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for *
* HB2947, As Engrossed: positive impact of $13,824,375 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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The bill would limit offenses for which a juvenile court would commit a
youth to the Texas Youth Commission to felonies or habitual Class A or B
misdemeanors.
General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:
****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) *
* Impact to General Revenue Related *
* Funds *
* 2000 $5,529,750 *
* 2001 8,294,625 *
* 2002 8,294,625 *
* 2003 8,294,625 *
* 2004 8,294,625 *
****************************************************
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
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*Fiscal Probable Savings/(Cost) from Change in Number of State *
* Year General Revenue Fund Employees from FY 1999 *
* 0001 *
* 2000 $5,529,750 0.0 *
* 2001 8,294,625 0.0 *
* 2002 8,294,625 0.0 *
* 2003 8,294,625 0.0 *
* 2004 8,294,625 0.0 *
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Technology Impact
N/A
Fiscal Analysis
It is assumed the bill would result in approximately 300 misdemeanant
commitments being diverted from the Texas Youth Commission and placed in
non-secure residential facilities in local communities. Cost of
non-secure placement would be borne by local juvenile probation
departments unless the Legislature chose to provide additional funding
through the Juvenile Probation Department.
Methodology
The changes proposed for release policy are applied in a simulation model
to an on-hand population and to intakes that reflect the distribution of
offense and time served guidelines.
Savings to the Texas Youth Commission are estimated on the basis of $101
per youth per day, reflecting approximate costs of contracting with
other entities. It is projected there would be a decrease in the Texas
Youth Commission population of 150 in FY2000 and 225 in the following
years.
Local Government Impact
It is expected that there will be increased costs to counties based on
the number of misdemeanants that would be impacted in each county. It
is expected that the total cost to local juvenile probation departments
if all diverted juveniles were placed in non-secure residential
facilities would be approximately $2 million in FY2000 and $2.2 million
in each of the following years. Also, the bill would allow courts to
place children in local detention facilities for up to 30 days (as a
condition of probation) or (in certain circumstances). There would be
increased costs to the counties to the extent additional juveniles were
placed in local detention facilities.
Source Agencies: 694 Youth Commission
LBB Staff: JK, PE, MD, DC