LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 80TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

March 6, 2007

TO:	Honorable Harold V. Dutton, Jr., Chair, House Committee on Juvenile Justice & Family Issues
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB777 by Dutton (Relating to the sentencing of juveniles in juvenile court and the functions of the Texas Youth Commission.), As Introduced

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB777, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($2,692,437) 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	($1,486,964)
2009	($1,205,473)
2010	($1,205,473)
2011	($1,205,473)
2012	($1,205,473)

All Funds, Five-Year Impact:

Fiscal Year	Probable Revenue Gain/(Loss) from GENERAL REVENUE FUND 1	Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2007
2008	($1,486,964)	8.0
2009	($1,205,473)	8.0
2010	($1,205,473)	8.0
2011	($1,205,473)	8.0
2012	($1,205,473)	8.0

Fiscal Analysis

The bill amends Family Code, Section 54.04 (d) to allow juvenile courts to specify a date, no later than the youth's 21st birthday, that the youth must be discharged from the Youth Commission (TYC). The bill amends Human Resources Code Chapter 61, Subchapter C to require that the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) investigate allegations of abuse or neglect at a TYC facility, and that the OAG report its findings to TYC. The bill adds Section 61.055 to the Human Resources Code to require TYC to incorporate a component of cultural and linguistic competence into TYC staff training, policies and program development.

Methodology

The bill analysis assumes that the provision of investigating cases of abuse and neglect in TYC facilities would become a function of the OAG, and that TYC would have greatly reduced responsibilities in its Office of Youth Care Investigations, reducing staff by 20 FTEs. TYC reports that cultural and linguistic competence components already exist in the agency's policies, procedures, and practices, including the agency's correctional treatment program, Resocialization. TYC anticipates no fiscal impact from this portion of the bill. TYC estimates a savings for the state of $971,976 in fiscal year 2008 and $971,976 in fiscal year 2009 caused by the reduction of staff salaries and benefits.  

Based on the assumption that OAG would investigate 1,347 cases per year, (the number of investigations conducted by TYC in fiscal year 2006), the anticipated cost would be $2,458,940 in fiscal year 2008 and $2,177,449 in fiscal year 2009. The OAG fiscal impact would be caused by staff salaries ($1,459,600 in fiscal year 2008 and $1,459,600 in fiscal year 2009), benefits ($412,921 in fiscal year 2008 and $412,921 in fiscal year 2009), and operating expenses (586,419 in fiscal year 2008 and $304,928 in fiscal year 2009) attributed to 28 additional FTEs .

Calculating the savings from TYC and the costs from OAG, the fiscal impact of this bill would be $1,486,964 in fiscal year 2008 and $1,205,473 in fiscal year 2009, with continuing costs of $1,205,473 in future years.

Technology

The technology impact is $68,225 in 2008 for network stations, software, and printers for additional OAG FTEs.

Local Government Impact

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

Source Agencies:

302 Office of the Attorney General, 694 Youth Commission

LBB Staff:

JOB, MN, GG, AI