LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 81ST LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 22, 2009

TO:
Honorable John Carona, Chair, Senate Committee on Transportation & Homeland Security
 
FROM:
John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
SB1783 by Carona (Relating to the use of an offender identification card or similar form of identification as proof of identity for an applicant for a driver's license or commercial driver's license.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend the Transportation Code (Chapter 521) requiring the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to accept identifying information provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) as proof of identity to issue a driver’s license or commercial driver’s license if the applicant also provides supplemental verifiable records or documents that aid in establishing identity. The bill would also create an inmate identification verification pilot program to issue driver license and identification certificates to inmates of TDCJ. The bill would require DPS and TDCJ to jointly issue a report to standing legislative committees with jurisdiction over criminal justice and homeland security issues addressing the status, effectiveness, and analysis of the feasibility of statewide implementation of the pilot program. The bill would take effect on September 1, 2009.

DPS anticipates no significant fiscal impact to their agency. TDCJ states the fiscal impact to their agency would depend on the contract signed with DPS, the number of releases and the fee associated with obtaining the personal identification certificates. This analysis assumes any additional fiscal impact created by the provisions in the bill could be absorbed within current appropriations.


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, KJG, GG, LG