LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 80TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 23, 2007

TO:	Honorable Joe Driver, Chair, House Committee on Law Enforcement
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB2300 by Paxton (Relating to the carrying of weapons by certain judges and justices and district and county attorneys. ), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

This bill would amend the Government Code and Penal Code requiring the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to establish a procedure for indicating a license holder’s status as a judge, justice, prosecuting attorney, or assistant prosecuting attorney on a concealed handgun license. The bill also states certain sections under Penal Code, Section 46 do not apply to peace officers or special investigators, parole officers, community supervision and corrections department officers, judges justices of a federal court, and honorably retired peace officers or federal criminal investigators.   DPS reports a one-time technology cost of $117,100 to cover programming changes to the Concealed Handgun License System. It is assumed that these costs can be absorbed within the agency’s current appropriations.  The Department of Criminal Justice anticipates no significant fiscal impact on the agency.

This bill would take effect immediately if a two-thirds majority vote in both houses of the Legislature is received. Otherwise, this bill would take effect on September 1, 2007.

Local Government Impact

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

Source Agencies:

405 Department of Public Safety, 696 Department of Criminal Justice

LBB Staff:

JOB, ES, GG, LG, LM, KJG