LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 83RD LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
May 23, 2013

TO:
Honorable David Dewhurst, Lieutenant Governor, Senate
 
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
SB1234 by Whitmire (Relating to the prevention of truancy and the offense of failure to attend school.), As Passed 2nd House

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

This bill would allow a school district, court, or juvenile probation department to employ a case manager to provide case services for juveniles.  School districts would be required to employ a truancy prevention facilitator or designate an existing employee to implement truancy prevention measures.

The bill would allow school districts to adopt additional truancy prevention measures.  The Class C misdemeanor offense for failure to attend school would be limited to a fine not to exceed $100 for the first offense and increasing by $100 per offense up to $500 for the fifth offense.

No significant fiscal impact to the state is anticipated.


Local Government Impact

Local governments would be required to employ a truancy prevention facilitator or designate an existing employee for these purposes.

The bill also prescribes maximum fines from $100 to $500 for failure to attend school based on the number of prior offenses; however, since fines rarely exceed $100 currently this provision is not anticipated to have a significant fiscal impact.

The Conference of Urban Counties and the Texas Association of Counties reported no significant fiscal impact to local governments associated with the bill.



Source Agencies:
212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts
LBB Staff:
UP, ESi, KKR