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 ************************************************************************** * 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. * ************************************************************************** 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) * **************************************************** All Funds, Five-Year Impact: ************************************************************************** *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 * ************************************************************************** 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