LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 80TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 9, 2007

TO:	Honorable Aaron Pena, Chair, House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB172 by Raymond (Relating to the confidentiality of a family violence victim's identifying information; providing a penalty.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would require the distribution to all law enforcement agencies of the state a pseudonym form to record the name, address, telephone number, and pseudonym of a family violence victim. It is anticipated that any additional costs associated with implementation of the bill could be absorbed within existing state resources.
 
The bill would take effect September 1, 2007.

Local Government Impact

The Travis County Sheriff’s Office reported that changes to Tiburon, the county’s integrated justice system that tracks all actions with regard to filings, could cost as much as $1.5 million in fiscal year 2008. Maintenance costs would be approximately $150,000 per year until 2012, when an additional full time equivalent (FTE) would have to be hired, raising the yearly cost to $217,000.

 

The Travis County District Clerk’s Office reported that implementing the provisions of the bill would require the hiring of two FTEs. Salaries, capital outlay, operational costs and recalling records from storage would cost $221,800 in fiscal year 2008. Additional FTEs would be needed by 2012, raising the annual costs to a minimum of $614,600. The FTEs would be needed to review, redact, and return to storage all eligible cases, which could include third degree family violence cases, family law cases with protective orders, divorces, and parent-child petitions.

 

Bexar County reported that implementing the provisions on the bill would require the hiring of one FTE clerk position, resulting in personnel and capital outlay costs of approximately $24,221 in fiscal year 2008. These costs would rise to $25,401 in fiscal year 2012. Depending on how long the county would have to achieve compliance, additional clerks could be needed, and costs would increase accordingly.

 

Dallas County reported potential costs of $3,500 per fiscal year in personnel overtime. The Collin County Sheriff’s Office reported requiring one FTE at a cost of $27,000 in fiscal year 2008, which would rise to $33,500 in fiscal year 2012. The Houston Police Department reported requiring two FTEs at a cost of $59,910 in fiscal year 2008. Harris County, Tarrant, and Tom Green counties reported that implementing the provisions of the bill would have little to no fiscal impact on their offices.

Source Agencies:

212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 302 Office of the Attorney General, 530 Family and Protective Services, Department of, 696 Department of Criminal Justice

LBB Staff:

JOB, ES, JM, KJG