LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 79TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
May 11, 2005

TO:
Honorable John Whitmire, Chair, Senate Committee on Criminal Justice
 
FROM:
John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB1588 by Driver (Relating to the qualifications and removal of and continuing education requirements for a constable.), As Engrossed

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would modify the Local Government and Occupations Codes relating to the qualifications, removal of and continuing education requirements for a constable.

Under the provisions of the bill, a public institution of higher education would be selected by the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education to establish and offer a program of initial training and continuing education for constables. The institutions selected by the Commission could absorb the costs associated with establishing the training program within existing resources.

The bill would also require the Office of Attorney General (OAG) to bring a quo warranto suit against a constable who has not complied with the training requirements. It is assumed that the OAG will be able to absorb this cost within existing resources.


Local Government Impact

Local governments will incur costs for travel and meals for constables who attend the initial training and continuing education. These costs would depend on the location of the public institution of higher education chosen to offer the training, the location of the local governmental entity, and the number of constables sent to training.

 

Local governmental entities also would incur small costs to modify their screening procedures for hiring new constables and to monitor constables' initial training and continuing education hours, but these costs are not expected to be significant.



Source Agencies:
407 Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education, 710 Texas A&M University System Administrative and General Offices, 720 The University of Texas System Administration, 758 Board of Regents, Texas State University System Central Office, 768 Texas Tech University System Administration, 781 Higher Education Coordinating Board, 783 University of Houston System Administration
LBB Staff:
JOB, RT, KJG, GO