LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                               May 18, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Bill Ratliff, Lieutenant Governor,  Senate
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB430  by Shapiro (Relating to creation of the Texas
               School Safety Center), As Passed 2nd House
  
**************************************************************************
*  Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for    *
*  SB430, As Passed 2nd House:  negative impact of $(250,000) through    *
*  the biennium ending August 31, 2003.                                  *
*                                                                        *
*  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                *
          *       2002                           $(125,000)  *
          *       2003                            (125,000)  *
          *       2004                            (125,000)  *
          *       2005                            (125,000)  *
          *       2006                            (125,000)  *
          ****************************************************
  
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
  
         *****************************************************
         * Fiscal Year      Probable Savings/(Cost) from      *
         *                      General Revenue Fund          *
         *                              0001                  *
         *      2002                               $(125,000) *
         *      2003                                (125,000) *
         *      2004                                (125,000) *
         *      2005                                (125,000) *
         *      2006                                (125,000) *
         *****************************************************
  
Fiscal Analysis
  
The bill amends the Education Code, creating the Texas School Safety
Center, to serve as a central source for school safety information and as
a resource for the prevention of youth violence and promotion of safety
in the state.

The bill creates a 15-member board of directors, comprised of the
Attorney General, the Commissioner of Education, the executive director
of the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission, the executive director of the
Texas Youth Commission, and the Commissioner of the Texas Department of
Mental Health and Mental Retardation, or their designees.  The remainder
of the board would be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and
consent of the Senate, from various specified entities having an interest
in public education safety.  The bill directs the center to conduct
safety training programs for school districts, to conduct a school safety
summit, to develop a model safety and security audit procedure, to
provide on-site technical assistance, and to develop model agreements for
providing services to at-risk youth.  The bill requires the center to
promote cooperation among state agencies, institutions of higher
education, and local juvenile delinquency prevention councils.

  
  
Methodology
  
The bill allows the center to accept gifts, grants, and donations from
the public.  The center's board would approve an annual budget for the
center and prepare the center's budget request biannually for submission
to the Legislature.

Currently, Southwest Texas State University operates the Texas School
Safety Center through a $500,000 annual grant from the Governor's Office.
The university must re-apply for the grant each year.  It is assumed
that this amount of grant funding would continue.  The additional cost
reflected in this fiscal note is based on an appropriation request by the
Office of Senator Shapiro of $125,000, contingent upon passage of this
legislation, to provide for the costs associated with the new board
created by the bill and to expand the level of services it would offer.
  
  
Local Government Impact
  
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   304   Comptroller of Public Accounts, 701   Texas
                   Education Agency
LBB Staff:         JK, CT, PF, RN