LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT STATEMENT
 
78TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
March 16, 2003

TO:
Honorable Kino Flores, Chair, House Committee on Licensing & Administrative Procedures
 
FROM:
John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB17 by Corte (Relating to punishment for the sale of an alcoholic beverage to a minor.), As Introduced

The bill would amend the Alcoholic Beverage Code by enhancing the punishment for repeat offenders of the offenses of selling an alcoholic beverage to a minor, habitual drunkard or an intoxicated or insane person.  The punishment would be enhanced from the present punishment of a Class A misdemeanor to a state jail felony. 

 

A Class A misdemeanor is punishable by confinement in county jail for a term not to exceed one year, a fine not to exceed $4,000, or both fine and imprisonment.

 

A state jail felony is punishable by confinement in a state jail for any term of not more than two years or less than 180 days, or, in addition to confinement, a fine not to exceed $10,000.

 

Increasing the penalty for any criminal offense is expected to result in increased demands upon the correctional resources of counties or of the State due to longer terms of probation, or, longer terms of confinement in county jails or prison. When an offense is changed from a misdemeanor to a felony, there is a transfer of the burden of confinement of convicted offenders from the counties to the State. In the case of this bill, the increased workload and demand for resources would probably not be substantial.



Source Agencies:
458 Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission
LBB Staff:
JK, GG