| TO: | Honorable Pete Gallego, Chair, House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence |
| FROM: | John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB1213 by Fletcher (Relating to increasing the penalty for the offense of leaving the scene of an accident that involves personal injury or death.), As Introduced |
The bill would amend the Transportation Code as it relates to the offense of leaving the scene of an accident that involves personal injury or death. Under the provisions of the bill, failing to stop or not complying with the requirements of the Transportation Code as they relate to accidents involving personal injury or death would be punishable as a third degree felony. Under current statute, failing to stop or not complying with the requirements of the Transportation Code as they relate to accidents resulting in death or serious bodily injury is a third degree felony, while failing to stop or not complying with the requirements of the Transportation Code as they relate to accidents involving personal injury is punishable by imprisonment for not more than five years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice or confinement in county jail for not more than one year, a fine not to exceed $5000, or both fine and the imprisonment or confinement.
The bill would take effect September 1, 2011 and apply only to an offense committed on or after that date.
For this analysis, it is assumed the number of offenders convicted under the change in statute would not result in a significant impact on the programs and workload of State corrections agencies or on the demand for resources and services of those agencies.
| Source Agencies: | 405 Department of Public Safety
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, ESi, GG, LM
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