LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
  
                              April 7, 1999
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Ken Armbrister, Chair, Senate Committee on
               Criminal Justice
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB8  by West, Royce (Relating to the compilation of
               criminal intelligence information pertaining to criminal
               street gangs.), As Introduced
  
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*  Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for    *
*  SB8, As Introduced:  negative impact of $(784,626) 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                           $(613,264)  *
          *       2001                            (171,362)  *
          *       2002                            (180,443)  *
          *       2003                            (182,524)  *
          *       2004                            (186,554)  *
          ****************************************************
  
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                        $(613,264)                             3.0 *
*  2001                         (171,362)                             3.0 *
*  2002                         (180,443)                             3.0 *
*  2003                         (182,524)                             3.0 *
*  2004                         (186,554)                             3.0 *
***************************************************************************
  
Technology Impact
  
All State costs of the bill would be attributable to technology impact.
  
  
Fiscal Analysis
  
The bill would allow criminal justice agencies to compile information and
create intelligence databases on criminal street gangs.  A database
would be required to be in compliance with operating policies established
in 28 C.F.R., Section 23.1 et. seq., and the submission criteria for
gangs as established by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for the
National Crime Information Center Violent Gang and Terrorist
Organizations File.  Information compiled by local agencies may be
submitted to the Department of Public Safety if the governing body
authorizes the transfer.  The Department would maintain the information
in a database that complies with policies established in 28 C.F.R. and
the submission criteria established by the FBI.

The governing body of the law enforcement authority collecting the
criminal street gang information may adopt a policy to notify the parent
or guardian of a child relating to the child's association with a
criminal street gang.  The bill would give a child, parent or guardian
the right to agency review of the accuracy of the information.   A
person is entitled to seek judicial review of the agency's
determination.
  
  
Methodology
  
The bill would require the development or acquisition of hardware and
software to support the statewide criminal street gang database.
Contract programming for the project is estimated at $427,500.  A
Programmer Analyst III, a Data Base Administrator IV, and a Records
Technician III would be required to provide on-going support for the
system.
  
  
Local Government Impact
  
The impact of the bill on local government would depend on the county or
municipality's decision to maintain a database on criminal street gangs.
Costs would also be affected by information currently collected and its
compliance with 28 C.F.R. and the submission criteria established by the
FBI.  Two counties contacted (Harris and Bexar) indicated the bill would
have no significant fiscal impact.
  
  
Source Agencies:   
LBB Staff:         JK, MD, VS