| TO: | Honorable John Whitmire, Chair, Senate Committee on Criminal Justice |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB2837 by Allen, Ray (Relating to the state's activities regarding education, vocational training, and reintegration of offenders.), As Engrossed |
The bill would amend numerous sections of the Labor and Education Code relating to the state's activities regarding the education, vocational training, and reintegration of offenders. Windham School District would be required to consult with the Legislative Budget Board to compile and analyze certain information regarding offenders who received training while incarcerated. The bill would require the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), the Texas Youth Commission (TYC), and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) to establish a data interface system to assist in the reintegration of offenders into the labor force. The bill would take effect September 1, 2005.
TWC estimates that there will be a one-time cost in fiscal year 2006 of $100,547 for establishing the data interface system. However, this cost estimate assumes that TWC would be able to absorb this cost within their existing resources. TYC reports an initial cost to implement the data interface system, but states that the cost could be absorbed within existing resources. Both TDCJ and the Texas Education Agency report no significant fiscal impact to the agencies. The Legislative Budget Board anticipates that the bill could be absorbed within existing resources.
| Source Agencies: | 320 Texas Workforce Commission, 694 Youth Commission, 696 Department of Criminal Justice, 701 Central Education Agency
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, KJG, VDS, AM
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