LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
  
                                May 3, 1999
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Pat Haggerty, Chair, House Committee on
               Corrections
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB1276  by Wentworth (Relating to a misdemeanant's
               liability for the cost of confinement in a county jail.),
               As Engrossed
  
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*  No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.                    *
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Local Government Impact
  
Allowing a county to order a defendant convicted of a misdemeanor to
reimburse the county for costs of post-judgement confinement at a rate of
$30 per day could result in additional revenues to counties. The amount
of revenue would depend on: the average daily cost of confining a
defendant, as determined by the commissioners court; the number of
defendants ordered to reimburse a county for costs of confinement; and
the collection rate for such costs. Revenues would be offset to some
extent by additional administrative expense related to billing and
collections and additional confinement costs for those inmates choosing
to pay their costs of confinement by remaining in jail and earning credit
for each additional day beyond the initial sentence.

Four counties provided fiscal impact estimates for the bill:

*Based on Bexar County estimates, additional net revenue are expected to
be $1,096,050 per year, based on additional revenues of $1,254,134 and
additional costs of $158,084.

*Based on Denton County estimates, additional net revenue are expected to
be $235,537 per year, based on additional revenues of $265,537 and
additional costs of $30,000.

*Based on Harris County estimates, additional net revenue are expected to
be $760,000 per year, based on  potential annual recovery of $1,560,000
and additional costs and uncollectible revenue of $800,000.

*Victoria County estimates that the county would not expect to receive
significant additional revenues as a result of the bill's passage, since
the cost to implement the provisions of the bill could actually be more
than revenues collected.
  
  
Source Agencies:   
LBB Staff:         JK, MD