LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session March 22, 1999 TO: Honorable Toby Goodman, Chair, House Committee on Juvenile Justice & Family Issues FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE: HB2947 by Goodman (Relating to circumstances under which a juvenile court may commit a child to the Texas Youth Commission.), As Introduced ************************************************************************** * Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for * * HB2947, As Introduced: 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. * ************************************************************************** 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: *************************************************************************** *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 * *************************************************************************** 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. Source Agencies: LBB Staff: JK, MD, DC