| TO: | Honorable John Whitmire, Chair, Senate Committee on Criminal Justice |
| FROM: | John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB44 by Zaffirini (Relating to the authority of certain law enforcement agencies to establish a checkpoint on a highway or street to determine whether persons are driving while intoxicated.), As Introduced |
The bill would allow the Department of Public Safety to establish sobriety checkpoints to determine whether persons are operating motor vehicles while intoxicated. The Department of Public Safety currently has written policy that follows the guidelines specified in the bill and the necessary full-time-equivalent positions and equipment to operate sobriety checkpoints. The fiscal estimate is based on the assumption that this function would be performed within existing operating funds.
The bill would allow the sheriff's department of a county or the police department of a municipality to establish sobriety checkpoints to determine whether persons are operating motor vehicles while intoxicated.
Depending on the application of the bill, establishing the checkpoints could result in increased costs to local government. There would be nominal materials costs (e.g., portable road signs) and costs to publicize the operation of the checkpoint. Depending on the time of day or the day of the week that the checkpoint is established, larger costs would result from the salaries of the peace officers assigned to operate the checkpoint.
| Source Agencies: | 405 Department Of Public Safety
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| LBB Staff: | JK, JO, WK, VDS, AR, KG
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