| TO: | Honorable Garnet Coleman, Chair, House Committee on County Affairs |
| FROM: | John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB3401 by Coleman (Relating to the authority of the Commission on Jail Standards and addressing mental health issues in jail.), As Introduced |
The bill would prohibit the Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) from granting a variance of a requirement of state law for the operation of a facility. The bill would require TDCJ to adopt standards to require jails to adequately screen offenders for mental illness and to refer offenders to diversion programs designed to treat mental illness. TCJS anticipates no significant fiscal impact from the passage of the bill.
TCJS anticipates a significant local impact from the passage of the bill. TCJS inspects 61 jails built prior to 1975, all of which operate under variances because they were built prior to the creation of TCJS. Additional jails built after 1975 have been granted variances. If the variances were eliminated, most of these facilities would have to undergo major renovation or would be vacated. Local governments would have to absorb the cost of the renovations or the cost of contracting with other facilities for offender housing at an average rate of $45 per day.
Harris County anticipates substantial new costs associated with the bill for paying new staff and for the housing and transportation of inmates. Harris County estimates total new costs of: $13,292,966 for fiscal year (FY) 2012, $13,647,680 for FY 2013, $14,012,154 for FY 2014, $14,386,662 for FY 2015, and $14,771,489 for FY 2016.
| Source Agencies: | 409 Commission on Jail Standards
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, KKR, GG, AI
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