LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 78TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 29, 2003

TO:	Honorable John Whitmire, Chair, Senate Committee on Criminal Justice
FROM:	John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB918 by Whitmire (Relating to the issuance of a summons for an appearance related to certain violations of parole.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend the Government Code by requiring the issuance of a summons for a person to appear for a hearing related to administration violations of the conditions of release to parole or mandatory supervision. 

Local Government Impact

The issuance of a summons requiring a person to appear for a hearing rather than the issuance of a warrant for the person would result in decreased time spent in county jail awaiting a hearing.  Depending on the difference in time spent in jail due to the provisions of the bill, a savings to local government would be realized through reduced county jail populations.  To provide an estimate of the potential savings to local government that could result from the bill, from May 2002 through April 2003, an average population of 2,437 persons were held in county jails as parole violators (Source: Texas Commission on Jail Standards).  Assuming a cost of $39.96 per day for holding an inmate in a county jail bed (Source: Criminal Justice Policy Council), the potential savings to counties for the period from May 2002 to April 2003 would have been approximately $35.5 million had the provisions of the bill been in effect and fully implemented. 

Source Agencies:	696 Department of Criminal Justice
LBB Staff:	JK, JO, WK, VDS, GG, KG