LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 83RD LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 28, 2013

TO:	Honorable Abel Herrero, Chair, House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
FROM:	Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB3747 by Farrar (Relating to a central database containing information about certain persons who have been convicted of or received a grant of deferred adjudication for certain offenses involving animal cruelty; providing a criminal penalty.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would add Chapter 61A to the Code of Criminal Procedure to require the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to establish and maintain a computerized central database and system of public registration regarding certain individuals who have been convicted or received deferred adjudication for offenses involving animal cruelty, only to the extent sufficient funding is available from gifts, grants, or donations. If the database and system of public registration is established by DPS, persons convicted or placed on deferred adjudication for certain animal cruelty offenses would be required to register until the tenth anniverasary of the conviction or grant of deferred adjudication. The bill would require DPS to establish procedures to ensure information pertaining to individuals registered in the database established by the bill is available to law enforcement officers. The bill would provide procedures for these persons to petition the courts for exemption from registration. Noncompliance with the provisions of registration included in the bill would be a Class C Misdemeanor.

 

The provisions of the bill would apply to individuals convicted of or receiving deferred adjudication for the applicable offenses on or after the effective date of the bill. An offense committed before the effective date of the bill is governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed. The bill would take effect immediately with a two-thirds vote of the members of each house. Otherwise, the bill would take effect September 1, 2013. No significant fiscal impact to the state is anticipated.

Local Government Impact

The bill could place additional administrative demands on local law enforcement; however, costs associated with these duties are not anticipated to be significant to local governments.

Source Agencies:

212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 405 Department of Public Safety, 409 Commission on Jail Standards, 696 Department of Criminal Justice, 697 Board of Pardons and Paroles

LBB Staff:

UP, JAW, KKR, ESi, GG, AI