LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 78TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
May 26, 2003

TO:
Honorable David Dewhurst, Lieutenant Governor, Senate
 
FROM:
John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
SB591 by Duncan (Relating to the structure and functions of the Texas Council on Offenders with Mental Impairments and to reassigning the duties of the council to the Advisory Committee to the Texas Board of Criminal Justice on Offenders with Medical or Mental Impairments and the Texas Correctional Office on Offenders with Medical or Mental Impairments.), As Passed 2nd House

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would abolish the Texas Council on Offenders with Mental Impairments and transfer its current powers and duties to a new “Texas Correctional Office on Offenders with Medical or Mental Impairments.”  The new office would be governed by the Texas Board of Criminal Justice and its director would report to the executive director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.  The bill would repeal certain sections of the Health and Safety Code related to the Council. 

Current Council members would become members of a new 31-member “Advisory Committee to the Texas Board of Criminal Justice on Offenders with Medical or Mental Impairments.”   The governor would appoint ten members with specific qualifications and the remaining 21 would be selected from a list provided by a number of medical, mental health, and law enforcement associations.  In addition, a number of agency directors or their representatives would serve as committee members.  Advisory committee members would serve at the pleasure of the Board.  

The bill would require reports developed by the Correctional Office and other agencies and provides for the reimbursement of advisory committee expenses, the costs for which the Department of Criminal Justice will absorb with current agency resources.

The Act takes effect September 1, 2003.


Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.


Source Agencies:
324 Department of Human Services, 340 Department on Aging, 409 Commission on Jail Standards, 410 Criminal Justice Policy Council, 501 Department of Health, 517 Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, 530 Department of Protective and Regulatory Services, 655 Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, 665 Juvenile Probation Commission, 694 Youth Commission, 696 Department of Criminal Justice, 701 Central Education Agency
LBB Staff:
JK, WK, MH, KF, MB