LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 81ST LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 13, 2009

TO:
Honorable Tommy Merritt, Chair, House Committee on Public Safety
 
FROM:
John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB3594 by McReynolds (Relating to the preservation of biological evidence.), As Introduced



Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB3594, As Introduced: an impact of $0 through the biennium ending August 31, 2011.



Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2010 $0
2011 $0
2012 $0
2013 $0
2014 $0




Fiscal Year Probable Savings/(Cost) from
State Highway Fund
6 		Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2009
2010 ($415,583) 2.0
2011 ($278,982) 2.0
2012 ($273,882) 2.0
2013 ($277,695) 2.0
2014 ($273,882) 2.0

Fiscal Analysis

The bill would amend the Code of Criminal Procedure, Article 38, which requires an officer in a county with a population less than 100,000 who is in possession of evidence used in the conviction of a crime under Chapter 19 (homicide) or 21 (sexual offenses) to deliver biological evidence to the Department of Public Safety (DPS) for storage. The bill also requires DPS to maintain a storage space for the preservation of the biological evidence that was used to establish the conviction or evidence of a sexual assault or other sex offense on behalf of the county. DPS is also required to adopt rules regarding the delivery, cataloging and preservation of evidence stored. The bill would take effect on September 1, 2009.


Methodology

DPS states a 6,000 square foot building would need to be rented to accommodate the bill's evidence storage requirement. This analysis assumes a cost of $174,319 per year for this purpose. DPS also states they would need two additional employees (Crime Lab Evidence Techs) to handle the receipt, storage, and return or disposal of the evidence, record keeping, and inventory of county evidence.  

Technology

The technology costs for fiscal year 2010 include $48,886 for computers, printers, and enterprise agreements, data equipment, and security system in rented building. The technology costs for fiscal years 2011, 2012, and 2014 include costs for enterprise agreements. Technology costs in fiscal year 2013 include additional costs for equipment replacement as well as enterprise agreements.

Local Government Impact

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


Source Agencies:
212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 405 Department of Public Safety
LBB Staff:
JOB, ESi, GG, LG