LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              April 18, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Patricia Gray, Chair, House Committee on Public
               Health
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB1463  by Maxey (Relating to appropriate places of
               detention for certain mental health services.), As
               Introduced
  
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*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.        *
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The bill would amend chapters 573 and 574 of the Health and Safety Code,
which currently disallows the use of jails or similar facilities, except
in cases of extreme emergency, for detainment of a person suspected of
having a mental illness or a person under a protective court order.  The
bill addresses this exception and would prohibit the use of a jail or
similar detention facility for detainment under any circumstances.
There could be additional costs to State facilities, such as State
hospitals and State centers, since these facilities are deemed
appropriate for use in such circumstances.  However, the number of
persons who are currently housed in jails in situations of extreme
emergency has not been estimated, and is probably not significant.
  
Local Government Impact
  
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is
anticipated.  If compliance with the provisions of this bill requires
local entities to either create facilities to house such persons or to
transport persons to appropriate facilities, there may be costs to local
entities.
  
  
Source Agencies:   405   Texas Department of Public Safety, 655   TX
                   Dept. of Mental Health & Mental Retardation, 696
                   Texas Department of Criminal Justice
LBB Staff:         JK, HD, KF, MB, DW