LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                                May 8, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Kenneth Armbrister, Chair, Senate Committee on
               Criminal Justice
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB598  by Goodman (Relating to fees imposed on defendants
               placed on community supervision.), As Engrossed
  
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*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.        *
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The bill would amend the Code of Criminal Procedure by raising from $40
to $60, the maximum monthly community supervision fee that could be
assessed by a judge.  The bill also lower from $25 to $10 the minimum
monthly community supervision fee that could be assessed by a judge.

The bill would take effect September 1, 2001.
  
Local Government Impact
  
An increase in the cap from $40 to $60 for supervision fees has the
potential of providing a revenue gain for CSCDs.  Conversely, the
lowering from $25 to $10 of supervision fees could provide a revenue
decrease for CSCDs.  According to the Texas Department of Criminal
Justice, in fiscal year 2000, there were 329,400 offenders eligible to
pay a monthly supervision fee.  Statistics were not available to
determine how many of those offenders were actually assessed a fee or the
amount of the fee; however, the total supervision fees reported
collected in fiscal year 2000 was $104.5 million statewide, which
averages out to $26.43 per offender per month.

If each of the 329,400 offenders eligible to be assessed supervision fees
were to be charged the difference between the current cap of $40 and the
proposed cap of $60 and each complied with paying the fee, the $20
increase would net a revenue increase of $6.5 million per month
statewide, or an average of $53,278 per CSCD. An increase in the maximum
amount of community supervision fees that could be imposed on offenders
placed on community supervision could result in a significant revenue
gain for the CSCDs if the judges were to increase the amount of fees
being assessed and if there was 100 percent compliance by the offenders.
The revenue gain would help offset operational costs for the
departments.
  
  
Source Agencies:   
LBB Staff:         JK, JC, GG