LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 83RD LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
May 10, 2013

TO:
Honorable Tan Parker, Chair, House Committee on Corrections
 
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.), Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

This bill would require a school district, court, or juvenile probation department to employ a case manager to provide case services for juveniles.  School districts that employ a truancy prevention facilitator would not be required to employ a case manager for these purposes.    
 
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.

The Comptroller of Public Accounts and the office of Court Administration anticipate no significant fiscal impact associated with the bill.


Local Government Impact

Local governments would be required to employ a case manager to provide case services for juveniles in some cases.

According to the Texas Association of Counties, Harris County anticipates some costs to hire case managers. Ward County and El Paso County reported that no significant fiscal impact is anticipated.

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.



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