LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
May 5, 1999
TO: Honorable Juan Hinojosa, Chair, House Committee on
Criminal Jurisprudence
FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: SB1774 by Zaffirini (Relating to the suspension of a
person's driver's license following the person's arrest
for certain intoxication offenses and to certain
procedures related to that suspension.), As Engrossed
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* Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for *
* SB1774, As Engrossed: positive impact of $493,328 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 Net Impact:
****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) *
* Impact to General Revenue Related *
* Funds *
* 2000 $(3,091) *
* 2001 496,419 *
* 2002 496,419 *
* 2003 496,419 *
* 2004 496,419 *
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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 $(1,015,287) $1,012,196 9.0 *
* 2001 (515,777) 1,012,196 9.0 *
* 2002 (515,777) 1,012,196 9.0 *
* 2003 (515,777) 1,012,196 9.0 *
* 2004 (515,777) 1,012,196 9.0 *
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Technology Impact
The technology impact for the bill is estimated to be $604,223 in FY2000
and $193,295 for each year thereafter.
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would amend the Transportation Code to extend the periods of
suspension for the offense of Driving While Intoxicated (DWI). Failure
of a breath test with one or more previous alcohol or drug-related
offenses within a ten year period from the point of arrest (up from 5
years under current law), would result in an extended suspension period
of one year. Refusal to take a breath test would result in an extended
suspension period of one year.
The bill would require the arresting officer in a DWI case to send to the
custody of DPS additional information pertaining to the details of the
arrest.
The bill would also increase the cost of an occupational license issued
to a person suspended for DWI or ALR related circumstances from $10 to
$125.
Methodology
The Department's Information Management Service (IMS) would incur an
estimated $422,400 in costs to provide programming for a new database to
track the status of licenses that are forwarded to DPS; to ensure data
exchange capability between the new database and the Driver's License
Host System; and to account for the new driver's license suspension
periods. IMS would need two additional programmers and one database
administrator to assist in carrying out these functions.
The Department's Safety Responsibility Bureau (SRB) would be required to
receive, store and evaluate the status on an estimated 100,000 driver's
licenses each year that DPS would receive from law enforcement officers.
SRB would need 6 employees plus an estimated $162,402 in capital and
operating expenses to handle the additional workload.
The bill would generate revenue. The bill would raise the price for an
occupational license from $10 to $125. It is expected that the
increased suspension periods of the bill would bring about additional
occupational license requests so that those licensees could continue to
drive for essential purposes. In 1997, 6,921 individuals applied for an
occupational license. Assuming that the number of occupational license
applications would increase by 25 percent as a result of the bill, it is
estimated that the state would receive an additional $1,012,196,
annually.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is
anticipated.
Source Agencies: 405 Department of Public Safety
LBB Staff: JK, MD