LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
April 5, 1999
TO: Honorable Ken Armbrister, Chair, Senate Committee on
Criminal Justice
FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: SB1774 by Zaffirini (Relating to administrative license
revocation and or suspension for driving while
intoxicated.), As Introduced
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* Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for *
* SB1774, As Introduced: negative impact of $(1,386,518) 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:
****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) *
* Impact to General Revenue Related *
* Funds *
* 2000 $(943,014) *
* 2001 (443,504) *
* 2002 (443,504) *
* 2003 (443,504) *
* 2004 (443,504) *
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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) $72,273 9.0 *
* 2001 (515,777) 72,273 9.0 *
* 2002 (515,777) 72,273 9.0 *
* 2003 (515,777) 72,273 9.0 *
* 2004 (515,777) 72,273 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 or refusal to take a breath test would result in an extended
suspension period of 90 and 180 days respectively. Failure of or refusal
to take 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 to two years, respectively.
The bill would also require the arresting officer in a DWI case to send
to the custody of DPS additional information pertaining to the details
of the arrest.
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. It is expected that the increased
suspension periods would bring about additional occupational license
requests so that those licensees could continue to drive for essential
purposes. An occupational driver's license is $10 for an original and
$10 for a renewal. In FY1997 the Department analyzed 103,247 Automatic
License Revocation (ALR) cases. Assuming that 7 percent of these cases
would result in persons applying for an occupational license as a result
of the bill, it is estimated that the state would receive $72,273
annually.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is
anticipated.
Source Agencies:
LBB Staff: JK, MD