Honorable Garnet Coleman, Chair, House Committee on County Affairs
FROM:
John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB2239 by Coleman (Relating to the minimum number of county jailers necessary to staff a county jail.), As Introduced
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Local Government Code to require the sheriff or administrator of a county jail to employ at least one county jailer for every 48 inmates housed in the county jail. The county commissioners court would be required to provide sufficient funding for the employment of the required number of jailers.
The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) reported that there would be no significant fiscal impact to the agency or to the state to implement the provisions of the bill.
Local Government Impact
For this analysis, it is assumed the required ratio would be one jailer per shift for every 48 inmates, rather than one jailer for every 48 inmates per day.
Texas Commission on Jail Standards currently requires a ratio of one jailer per shift for every 48 inmates housed in the county jail; therefore, there would be no fiscal impact to units of local government unless they are currently not in compliance with TCJS or the county jail has a waiver regarding the requirement.
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.