LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 82ND LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
Revision 1
 
April 12, 2011

TO:
Honorable John Whitmire, Chair, Senate Committee on Criminal Justice
 
FROM:
John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
SB903 by Patrick (Relating to the punishment for certain intoxication offenses.), As Introduced



Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB903, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($7,476,162) through the biennium ending August 31, 2013.

The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.



Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2012 ($2,492,054)
2013 ($4,984,108)
2014 ($7,476,161)
2015 ($7,476,161)
2016 ($7,476,161)




Fiscal Year Probable Revenue (Loss) from
General Revenue Fund
1
Probable Revenue (Loss) from
Trauma Facility And Ems
5111
Probable (Cost) from
State Highway Fund
6
Probable (Cost) from
Oper & Chauffeurs Lic Ac
99
2012 ($2,492,054) ($2,442,706) ($180,709) ($1,109,732)
2013 ($4,984,108) ($4,885,412) ($180,894) ($991,686)
2014 ($7,476,161) ($7,328,119) ($126,756) ($989,604)
2015 ($7,476,161) ($7,328,119) ($129,295) ($1,009,430)
2016 ($7,476,161) ($7,328,119) ($126,756) ($989,604)

Fiscal Year Probable Revenue Gain from
Texas Mobility Fund
365
2012 $120,360
2013 $120,360
2014 $120,360
2015 $120,360
2016 $120,360



Fiscal Year Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2011
2012 17.0
2013 17.0
2014 17.0
2015 17.0
2016 17.0

Fiscal Analysis

The bill would amend the Code of Criminal Procedure, Government Code, and the Penal Code as they relate to a defendant’s eligibility to be placed on deferred adjudication for certain intoxication offenses and to the consequences of that deferred adjudication. Under current statute, certain intoxication offenses (Sections 49.04 through 49.08, Penal Code) are ineligible for placement on deferred adjudication. The provisions of the bill would only allow certain first-time defendants eligibility for placement on deferred adjudication.

 

Under the provisions of the bill, Driving While Intoxicated, Flying while Intoxicated, Boating while Intoxicated, and Assembling or Operating an Amusement Ride while Intoxicated would be eligible for placement on deferred adjudication as long as the defendant at the time of the offense did not possess a commercial driver's license or a commercial driver learners’ permit.  The bill would also amend the Government Code to add Driving While Intoxicated, Flying while Intoxicated, Boating while Intoxicated, and Assembling or Operating an Amusement Ride while Intoxicated with punishment greater than a Class C misdemeanor to the list of those offenses for which an order of non-disclosure cannot be sought.

 

The bill would require an individual placed on deferred adjudication for Driving While Intoxicated,  Flying while Intoxicated, Boating while Intoxicated, and Assembling or Operating an Amusement Ride while Intoxicated have an ignition interlock device installed. 

 

The bill would add Driving while Intoxicated with a Child Passenger to the list of offenses punishable as a third degree felony under Section 49.09 (b), Penal Code if the person had been previously convicted of certain intoxication offenses. Under the provisions of the bill, penalties for certain intoxication offenses would be enhanced if the defendant had previously been convicted or previously been placed on deferred adjudication for certain intoxication offenses.  

The bill would take effect September 1, 2011 and apply only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of the Act.

Methodology

Permitting first-time defendants charged with certain intoxication offenses to be placed on deferred adjudication would allow these defendants to bypass the Driver Responsibility Program (DRP) surcharge of $3,000 ($1,000 per year for three years). This will result in a revenue loss to the General Revenue Fund and the Trauma Facility and EMS fund. According to the Department of Public Safety, 12,036 defendants would receive deferred adjudication each year. 24,072 defendants received probation for a Class B Misdemeanor (first-time) intoxication offense in fiscal year 2010, and this analysis assumes 50 percent of those would receive deferred adjudication (24,072/2 = 12,036).

Offenders convicted of their first applicable intoxication offense receive a DRP surcharge of $3,000, to be paid in $1,000 installments over three years. Taking into consideration the current 41 percent collection rate of DRP surcharges, the total lost revenue would be $4,934,760 for FY 2012, $9,869,520 for FY 2013, and $14,804,280 for FY 2014 and future fiscal years. 50.5 percent of the lost revenue would come from the General Revenue fund and 49.5 percent of the lost revenue would come from the Trauma Facility and EMS fund. 

The bill would require all offenders receiving deferred adjudication for the applicable intoxication offenses to have an ignition interlock device (IID) placed on their vehicle. DPS is responsible for auditing and testing the entities who provide the IIDs throughout the state and issuing licenses for each IID. The increased demand for IIDs due to the provisions of the bill will likely require DPS to audit and test additional entities who provide IIDs. DPS will require additional full-time employees to process IID licenses and customer service inquiries. DPS assumes there will be a 25 percent increase in the entities who provide IIDs as a result of the provisions of the bill; DPS will also require additional FTEs to adequately inspect and audit the additional entities.

One additional Administrative Assistant IV would be required to process the additional IID licenses and one Customer Service Representative IV would be required to field the additional customer support expected. These full-time employees (FTEs) would be funded through the State Highway Fund. Thirteen additional Inspector IVs would be required to adequately inspect and audit the anticipated 25% growth in the number of IID providers, and one Program Specialist I would be required to supervise the additional Inspector IVs. One Accountant V will be required to provide accounting and various financial management issues for the additional employees. These FTEs would be funded through the Operator and Chauffeurs License Account. Additional expenses for the supplies and support of all the additional FTEs is also included in this analysis.

Assuming the same number of applicable persons would be required to obtain the IID in future years, this would result in a gain to the Texas Mobility Fund of $120,360 each year because each person issued an IID would be required to pay a $10 fee to obtain a driver’s license with an IID restriction.


Technology

DPS will require systems analysis, programming, and database administration support for logic and database changes to the Driver License System at a cost of $67,600 in fiscal years 2012 and 2013.

Local Government Impact

The bill would require a defendant granted deferred adjudication under the provisions of the bill to have an ignition interlock device installed on the vehicle most regularly driven by the defendant. Local community supervision and corrections departments (CSCDs) would face lost revenue if defendants who would otherwise pay probation fees would now pay fees for the device but would be unable to pay probation fees.

Brazos County community CSCD anticipates lost revenue of $75,000 annually due to defendants’ failure to pay fees associated with the bill.

Angelina County CSCD anticipates lost revenue of $5,000 due to defendants’ failure to pay and costs of $20,000 annually in new staff to oversee offenders.

Williamson County CSCD anticipates $25,000 of lost revenue for fiscal year (FY) 2012, and $118,000 in costs for new staff to oversee offenders. Williamson County estimates that these costs will rise by 10 to 12 percent per year.

Bexar County CSCD anticipates a one-time cost of $55,000 in FY 2012 for automobiles and equipment in addition to $187,000 for new staff and automobile maintenance and $708,200 in lost revenue due to defendants’ failure to pay. Except for the cost for automobiles and equipment (which only affects FY 2012), costs are expected to rise approximately 5 percent per year.



Source Agencies:
212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 696 Department of Criminal Justice, 405 Department of Public Safety
LBB Staff:
JOB, KKR, ESi, GG, LM, TB