LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 79TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 7, 2005

TO:	Honorable John Whitmire, Chair, Senate Committee on Criminal Justice
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB938 by West, Royce (Relating to the creation of a prison diversion pilot program.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend the Government Code to create the Prison Diversion Pilot Program. The pilot program would require the Community Justice Assistance Division (CJAD) of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to provide grants to community supervision and corrections departments giving preference to departments based on required criteria. CJAD would be required to report certain statistics, analyses, and comparisons to the Board of Criminal Justice. The bill would take effect immediately if receiving a vote of two-thirds of all members in each house, or September 1, 2005.

This cost estimate assumes that CJAD would establish the pilot program from current appropriations for grants to local community supervision and corrections departments. No significant fiscal impact to the State is anticipated unless the Legislature elects to increase appropriations for the pilot program.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.  Some local community supervision and corrections departments may receive more or less through grant programs compared to current awards.

Source Agencies:

LBB Staff:

JOB, KJG, VDS, AM