LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
March 22, 1999
TO: Honorable Ken Armbrister, Chair, Senate Committee on
Criminal Justice
FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: SB280 by Bivins (Relating to graduated driver
licensing.), As Introduced
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* Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for *
* SB280, As Introduced: negative impact of $(3,615,189) 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 $(2,735,183) *
* 2001 (880,006) *
* 2002 (521,573) *
* 2003 (521,573) *
* 2004 (521,573) *
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All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
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*Fiscal Probable Probable Revenue Change in Number of *
* Year Savings/(Cost) from Gain/(Loss) from State Employees from *
* General Revenue Fund General Revenue Fund FY 1999 *
* 0001 0001 *
* 2000 $(3,183,071) $447,888 11.0 *
* 2001 (1,327,894) 447,888 32.0 *
* 2002 (969,461) 447,888 25.0 *
* 2003 (969,461) 447,888 25.0 *
* 2004 (969,461) 447,888 25.0 *
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Technology Impact
The Technology Impact for the bill would be $2,873,318 for FY2000;
$214,330 for each year thereafter.
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would create an "intermediate driver's license" for a person
between the ages of 16 and 18 and set restrictions on the hours when
such a person would be allowed to drive. The bill would also create a
definition for a "traffic offense". A driver's license applicant under
the age of 18 found guilty of committing such an offense would be
ineligible, under certain conditions, for a Class A, B, C or
intermediate driver's license.
Methodology
According to the Department of Public Safety (DPS), 358,310 driver's
license applicants would be affected annually by the bill starting in
September 2000 when the bill would become law. It is estimated that a
substantial number of these applicants would apply for a hardship license
to avoid the driving restrictions of the intermediate license. Assuming
that 50 percent of those affected by the law would apply for a hardship
license, DPS would have to perform evaluations for 179,105 additional
hardship applicants per year. It is estimated that DPS would need 21
additional driver's license field office personnel to handle the
additional workload.
DPS' Information Management Service (IMS) would incur costs of $2,560,000
for contract computer programming to make the necessary changes related
to driver's license class designations, age programs, computer screen
layouts, and applicant ineligibility status. IMS will also need 2
programmer analysts, 1 systems programmer and 1 administrative technician
to carryout the project.
In addition, DPS' License Issuance Bureau will need seven additional
technical assistance personnel the first two years the bill is
implemented to provide technical support to driver's license field
offices for the changes to the driver's license system.
The bill would generate revenue. The cost for a hardship license is $5.
Assuming a 50 percent approval rate, it is estimated that 89,578
additional applicants per year would receive a hardship license,
generating $447,888 annually.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is
anticipated.
Source Agencies:
LBB Staff: MD, JK