80(R) SB 1295 - Introduced version

LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 80TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION


March 20, 2007

TO:	Honorable John Whitmire, Chair, Senate Committee on Criminal Justice

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

IN RE:	SB1295 by West, Royce (Relating to the establishment of community-based programs administered by the juvenile boards of certain counties.), As Introduced

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB1295, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($4,473,838) 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	($2,237,874)
2009	($2,235,964)
2010	($2,235,964)
2011	($2,235,964)
2012	($2,235,964)

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	($2,237,874)	1.0
2009	($2,235,964)	1.0
2010	($2,235,964)	1.0
2011	($2,235,964)	1.0
2012	($2,235,964)	1.0

The bill would require a juvenile board in a county with a population of 1.3 million or greater to order youths adjudicated for a misdemeanor offense who have previously been adjudicated of at least two misdemeanor offenses or at least one felony offense, and who would otherwise be committed to the Youth Commission (TYC), to participate in a community-based program administered by the county's juvenile board. The programs would be required to be in place not later than January 1, 2008.

The Juvenile Probation Commission (JPC) would provide grants to juvenile boards for the community-based programs, and would be required to establish guidelines for implementation of the programs. The guidelines would be required to be in place not later than November 1, 2007, and each juvenile board would have to comply with the guidelines. JPC would be required to give priority to juvenile boards serving counties in which the commitment rate to TYC for misdemeanor offenses exceeds the statewide average. JPC would also be required to complete a report describing the implementation and effectiveness of the community-based programs and comparing the cost of the community-based programs to the cost of committing youth to TYC. The report would be delivered to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and each member of the legislature not later than January 1, 2009.

The Office of Court Administration anticipates no significant fiscal impact to the court system. The bill would take effect September 1, 2007.

JPC reports that four counties would be impacted by this bill: Bexar, Dallas, Harris, and Tarrant. JPC anticipates a pilot program would be developed in each of the four counties. Using a program size of 30 youth, a 6-month length of stay, and a $50 per day estimated cost (based on a current program run by a vendor in Dallas County), JPC anticipates each pilot program would cost $547,000 per year for a total cost of $2,188,000 for all four programs. JPC further reports that two additional half-time FTEs would be necessary to develop, oversee, monitor, and reimburse the programs. The additional costs are estimated at $49,874 in fiscal year 2008 and $47,964 in future years. The total anticipated cost of the community-based programs for misdemeanor offenders is $2,237,874 in fiscal year 2008 and $2,235,964 in fiscal year 2009, with a cost of $2,235,964 in future years. This fiscal note assumes that the state would bear the total cost of the community-based programs.

JPC anticipates technology costs of $1,910 in fiscal year 2008 with no continuing costs in future years.

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.