LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT STATEMENT
 
82ND LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 14, 2011

TO:
Honorable Chris Harris, Chair, Senate Committee on Jurisprudence
 
FROM:
John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
SB1551 by Rodriguez (relating to missing children; providing a criminal penalty.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

The bill would amend the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Penal Code related to missing children. The provisions of the bill that enhance existing punishment or create new punishment for criminal offenses are the subject of this analysis. Under the provisions of the bill taking or retaining a child younger than 18 years of age outside the United States with the intent to deprive a person entitled to possession of or access to the child without permission would be a state jail felony.

A state jail felony is punishable by confinement in a state jail for a term from 180 days to 2 years and, in addition to confinement, an optional fine not to exceed $10,000 or Class A Misdemeanor punishment (mandatory post conviction community supervision).

Creating a penalty for any criminal offense is expected to result in increased demands upon the correctional resources of counties or of the State due to longer terms of probation, or longer terms of confinement in county jails or prison. For this analysis, it is assumed the number of offenders convicted under this 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:
LBB Staff:
JOB, GG, LM, JGA