LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session March 9, 2001 TO: Honorable Pat Haggerty, Chair, House Committee on Corrections FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE: HB598 by Goodman (relating to fees imposed on defendants placed on community supervision.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted ************************************************************************** * No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. * ************************************************************************** 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 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. 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