LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 82nd LEGISLATURE 1st CALLED SESSION - 2011

June 22, 2011

TO:	Honorable Tommy Williams, Chair, Senate Committee on Transportation & Homeland Security
FROM:	John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB43 by Lucio (Relating to authorizing the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas to operate one or more southbound vehicle checkpoints near the international border of this state for the purpose of preventing certain criminal offenses.), As Introduced

The fiscal implications of the bill could result in an indeterminate cost to the state.

The bill would amend the Government Code to permit the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to establish vehicle checkpoints near the Texas-Mexico border to prevent the unlawful transfer of certain items from Texas to Mexico. The bill would provide certain guidelines related to the checkpoints. The bill would take effect immediately upon a two-thirds vote of all the members of each house. Otherwise, the bill would take effect September 1, 2011. The statute amended by the bill would revert back to its current status on September 1, 2015.

  

The fiscal impact of the bill cannot be determined, due to the unknown extent of the applicable checkpoints the bill would permit. DPS indicates the operation of 24/7/365 checkpoints at international bridges and mobile checkpoints would have an extensive, significant fiscal impact. It is assumed temporary or selective checkpoints would have a reduced fiscal impact from the 24/7/365 model, but the extent to which these checkpoints would be deployed and their associated costs are unknown.

Local Government Impact

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

Source Agencies:

405 Department of Public Safety

LBB Staff:

JOB, KJG, SD, ESi