LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 79TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

March 15, 2005

TO:	Honorable Jerry Madden, Chair, House Committee on Corrections
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB448 by Dutton (Relating to in-prison geriatric communities.), As Introduced

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB448, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($2,295,120) through the biennium ending August 31, 2007.

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
2006	($1,147,560)
2007	($1,147,560)
2008	($1,147,560)
2009	($1,147,560)
2010	($1,147,560)

All Funds, Five-Year Impact:

Fiscal Year	Probable Savings/(Cost) from GENERAL REVENUE FUND 1
2006	($1,147,560)
2007	($1,147,560)
2008	($1,147,560)
2009	($1,147,560)
2010	($1,147,560)

Fiscal Analysis

The bill would amend the Government Code by establishing a program to confine and treat inmates who are 60 years of age or older in in-prison geriatric communities. The institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) and the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services would jointly develop methods of screening and assessing inmates to determine their needs as geriatric inmates. The institutional division would be required to separate inmates participating in the program from the general population of the division and house the inmates in discrete units or areas within units, except for medical and security purposes. 

Methodology

As of November 30, 2004, there were approximately 3,533 TDCJ-ID offenders over age 60. It is assumed that the screening and assessment activities performed by TDCJ would provide a constant population of 800 inmates who are 60 years of age or older who would receive treatment that addresses the special problems of geriatric inmates. Costs for enhanced treatment programming required by the bill are assumed to be similar to that offered by the Beto and LeBlanc Units which is currently estimated to be an additional $3.93 per offender per day. Assuming a daily cost of $3.93 per day for 800 inmates receiving treatment, the yearly cost of implementing the provisions of the bill would be $1,147,560. This analysis assumes that TDCJ would be able to separate inmates participating in the program from the general population of the division without the construction of additional prison capacity. 

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

301 Office of the Governor, 539 Department of Aging and Disability Services, 696 Department of Criminal Justice

LBB Staff:

JOB, KJG, VDS, GG