LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
April 11, 2001
TO: Honorable Kenneth Armbrister, Chair, Senate Committee on
Criminal Justice
FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: SB1227 by Lindsay (Relating to the use of the
compensation to victims of crime fund to reimburse a
children's advocacy center for certain services provided
to or on behalf of victims of child abuse.), As
Introduced
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* Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for *
* SB1227, As Introduced: positive impact of $0 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 $0 *
* 2003 0 *
* 2004 0 *
* 2005 0 *
* 2006 0 *
****************************************************
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
*****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Savings/(Cost) from *
* Compensation to Victims of Crime *
* Account/ GR-Dedicated *
* 0469 *
* 2002 $(27,051,400) *
* 2003 (27,051,400) *
* 2004 (27,051,400) *
* 2005 (27,051,400) *
* 2006 (27,051,400) *
*****************************************************
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would amend the provisions in the Code of Criminal Procedure to
allow the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to use the Compensation to
Victims of Crime Fund to reimburse a children's advocacy center (CAC)
for costs for providing medical treatment, medical evaluations, and
therapy to victims of child abuse. The OAG would also be authorized to
use the Fund to reimburse CAC costs associated with providing testimony
in court proceedings related to the abuse.
The OAG estimated that the cost of implementing the provisions of the
bill would be $27,051,400 each year, paid from the Compensation to
Victims of Crime Fund.
Methodology
According to information obtained by the OAG from the Children Advocacy
Centers of Texas, 3,292 children received medical examinations at CACs
in fiscal year 2000. The average cost of each medical examination was
$700, resulting in an annual cost of $2,304,400. Therapy was provided
to 8,249 children at the CACs in fiscal year 2000. The OAG assumed that
the average cost for a course of therapy would be $3,000, resulting in
an annual cost of $24,747,000. Information on the costs incurred by the
CACs for providing testimony in court proceedings was unavailable;
therefore, the costs for reimbursing these expenses are not included in
this analysis.
Local Government Impact
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies: 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 302 Office of
the Attorney General
LBB Staff: JK, JC, SC