80(R) HB 157 - House Committee Report version

LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 80TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION


April 5, 2007

TO:	Honorable Joe Driver, Chair, House Committee on Law Enforcement

FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board

IN RE:	HB157 by Pickett (Relating to a silver alert for missing senior citizens. ), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB157, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: an impact of $0 through the biennium ending August 31, 2009.

General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:

Fiscal Year	Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2008	$0
2009	$0
2010	$0
2011	$0
2012	$0

All Funds, Five-Year Impact:

Fiscal Year	Probable Savings/(Cost) from STATE HIGHWAY FUND 6	Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2007
2008	($120,780)	2.0
2009	($104,210)	2.0
2010	($104,210)	2.0
2011	($104,210)	2.0
2012	($104,210)	2.0

The bill would amend the Government Code relating to a silver alert for missing senior citizens.

The bill would add Government Code, Chapter 411, Subchapter M, Silver Alert for Missing Senior Citizens, which further defines the terms “alert”, “local law enforcement agency”, and “senior citizen” and states that the Department of Public Safety (DPS) in cooperation with the Department of Transportation, the Office of the Governor, and local law enforcement shall develop and implement a statewide alert to be activated on behalf of a missing senior citizens. The bill states the DPS director shall adopt rules and issue directives of the alert including procedures for activating the alert. The bill states the rules and directives must include procedures used by local law enforcement: to verify whether a senior citizen is missing, has an impaired mental condition, including a description of the circumstances of the missing person's report, and reporting information to designated media outlets.

The bill states that DPS shall recruit public and commercial television and radio broadcasters, private commercial entities, state and local governmental entities, and the public to assist in developing and implementing the alert. DPS in coordination with the Department of Transportation shall establish a plan to provide relevant information to the public through dynamic message signs located across the state. Local law enforcement may notify DPS if local law enforcement receives notice that a senior citizen is missing and verifies at the time that the senior citizen is reporting missing, that the person is age 65 or older, the person's location is unknown, the person's domicile is in Texas, the senior citizen has an impaired metal condition, and that the disappearance poses a credible threat to the senior citizen's health and safety. The bill requires local law enforcement to collect impaired mental condition with the senior citizen's family or legal guardian.

Once the information is verified, local law enforcement shall immediately contact DPS to request activation and supply the necessary information on the forms developed by DPS. The bill states that state agencies participating in the alert shall cooperate with DPS and assist with the development and implementation of the alert and establish a plan for providing relevant information to DPS staff once the alert has been activated. The bill states the alert must include all appropriate information provided by local law enforcement and a statement instruction any person with information related to the missing senior citizen to contact local law enforcement. DPS shall terminate any activation of the alert if the senior citizen is located or the situation is otherwise resolved, the notification period ends, or local law enforcement has located the missing senior citizen. The bill would take effect on September 1, 2007.

DPS estimates 900 persons over the age of 65 and older are reported missing in Texas each year. The analysis of additional FTEs is based on an assumption of 900 requests/advisories divided by 365 (days in a year) = approximately 2.5 requests/advisories potentially taking place each day. There is no prediction or knowledge of what time of day or night potential requests will be submitted by local law enforcement. Therefore, the anticipated increased workload is projected across all three of DPS' State Operations Center shifts.

This analysis assumes an additional 2 research specialist FTEs would be required each year to implement the provisions of the bill, for the initial review process and subsequent analytical support of the missing senior citizen investigations (2 B9 positions at $36,065 per year plus estimated employee benefit costs at 28.29 percent of salary costs). Other operating expenses are estimated to be $33,814 in fiscal year 2008 and $21,640 in fiscal years 2009 through 2012 for maintenance and repair of office machines and computer equipment, computer supplies, non-capital computer equipment, and furniture and equipment.

The Department of Transportation and the Office of the Governor have both stated that this bill would have no significant fiscal impact on their agencies.

This analysis includes estimated technology costs computers, printers, enterprise agreements totaling $4,694 in fiscal year 2008. Fiscal years 2009 through 2012 include a technology impact of $298 per year for continued enterprise software agreements.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.