LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 82ND LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

March 14, 2011

TO:	Honorable Jerry Madden, Chair, House Committee on Corrections
FROM:	John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB592 by Pitts (Relating to the population of a county required to operate a juvenile justice alternative education program.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would increase the county population threshold at which expelled students and students meeting other mandatory placement requirements must be placed in a Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program (JJAEP) and the population threshold at which counties are required to operate a JJAEP from 125,000 to 180,000.

Currently, the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission allows counties with populations of 72,000 or greater to elect to operate a JJAEP and to receive state funding for mandatory placements. In the 2010-11 biennium, JJAEPs earn state funding of $79 per student per day for mandatory placements.  These funds are transferred from Foundation School Program funds appropriated to the Texas Education Agency.

If the six counties currently operating JJAEPs with populations between 125,000 and 180,000 elect to discontinue operations, savings to the state could accrue.  Savings are not estimated to be significant.

Local Government Impact

Counties with populations between 125,000 and 180,000 would no longer be required to operate JJAEPs.  If the affected counties opt not to continue operating JJAEPs, school districts in those counties may be required to serve students who would have otherwise been expelled to a JJAEP.

Source Agencies:

665 Juvenile Probation Commission, 701 Central Education Agency

LBB Staff:

JOB, ESi, JGM, JSc