LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 81ST LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 17, 2009

TO:	Honorable John Whitmire, Chair, Senate Committee on Criminal Justice
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB1236 by Seliger (Relating to admonishments given to a person charged with a misdemeanor. ), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend the Code of Criminal Procedure to require inclusion on a written citation to be issued to persons charged with committing a Class C misdemeanor offense an admonishment regarding the possible loss of the person's right to possess or purchase a firearm if they are convicted of certain misdemeanor offenses.

Before accepting a plea of guilty or of nolo contendere by a defendant charged with a misdemeanor involving family violence, the court would be required to admonish the defendant regarding the possible loss of their right to possess or purchase a firearm. The admonishment could be orally or in writing. If a citation had been issued containing that information, the citation would serve as the court's admonishment.

Costs associated with printing new citation forms could be absorbed within existing resources.

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, DB