LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              April 23, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Kenneth Armbrister, Chair, Senate Committee on
               Criminal Justice
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB1413  by Lindsay (relating to the limit on compensation
               paid by the state to certain crime victims.), Committee
               Report 1st House, Substituted
  
**************************************************************************
*  Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for    *
*  SB1413, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted:  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                             $(6,379,000) *
         *      2003                             (12,332,800) *
         *      2004                             (17,997,300) *
         *      2005                             (24,582,900) *
         *      2006                             (32,305,200) *
         *****************************************************
  
Fiscal Analysis
  
The bill as substituted amends the provisions of the Code of Criminal
Procedure governing the Crime Victims Compensation Program.  The bill
increases the maximum limits on payments to a claimant from $50,000 to
$100,000.  The increased limit applies only to claims filed after the
effective date of the bill.

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) estimates the cost of
implementing the provisions of this bill would total $7.0 million in
fiscal year 2002 and increase to $40.4 million in fiscal year 2006, paid
from the Compensation to Victims of Crime Fund.
  
  
Methodology
  
The OAG's cost estimate is based on the increase in claims payments
experienced when the limit was previously raised by the 1997 Legislature
from $25,000 to $50,000.  After this limit was increased, the total
compensation paid increased by 15.52%, 14.83%, and 11.21% for fiscal
years 1998, 1999, and 2000, respectively.  Percent increases resulting
from raising the cap from $50,000 to $100,000 are expected to be
slightly less than those experienced with the 1997 Legislative cap
increase.  Therefore, 12% and 10% increases have been applied to the
total amount of payments anticipated for fiscal years 2002 and 2003.
For fiscal years 2004 through 2006, an 8% increase in the total amount
of compensation paid is expected due to the increase in the limit.
  
  
Local Government Impact
  
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   302   Office of the Attorney General
LBB Staff:         JK, JC, SC