LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 80TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 13, 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. ), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted



Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB1295, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: a negative impact of ($4,473,838) through the biennium ending August 31, 2009.



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)




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

Fiscal Analysis

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, who would otherwise be committed to the Youth Commission (TYC), and who have not previously been committed to 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 bill would take effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all members elected to each house, or on September 1, 2007 if it does not receive the votes necessary for immediate implementation.

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.


Methodology

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. For this analysis it is assumed that the state would bear the total cost of the community-based programs.

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


Technology

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.


Source Agencies:
LBB Staff:
JOB, ES, GG, AI