LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session February 26, 2001 TO: Honorable Toby Goodman, Chair, House Committee on Juvenile Justice & Family Issues FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE: HB1790 by Clark (Relating to the requirement of notifying the parent or guardian of a child who is referred to juvenile court but who is not taken into custody.), As Introduced ************************************************************************** * No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. * ************************************************************************** On referral of the case of a child who has not been taken into custody to the office designated by the juvenile court, the bill would require the person or agency making the referral to give notice of the referral and a statement of the reason for the referral to the child's parents, guardian, or custodian. Current law requires that referrals include the name and address of the child's parent and a complete statement of the reason for the referral. The bill's fiscal impact is difficult to determine for the following reasons: (1) Numerous entities, such as a law enforcement agency or a school district, would bear the cost of the notices. (2) The bill does not specify that the notice must be written or if the notice must be served. (3) The notification requirement may have a deterrent effect on a child's future delinquent conduct and may offset the fiscal impact to some extent. Local Government Impact No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated. Source Agencies: LBB Staff: JK, JC, AJ