83(R) SB 1857 - Introduced version

LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 83RD LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION


April 7, 2013

TO:	Honorable Craig Estes, Chair, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Rural Affairs & Homeland Security

FROM:	Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board

IN RE:	SB1857 by Estes (Relating to the training of certain qualified handgun instructors to conduct school safety training.), As Introduced

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB1857, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($1,644,520) through the biennium ending August 31, 2015.

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

General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:

Fiscal Year	Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2014	($851,454)
2015	($793,066)
2016	($495,526)
2017	($793,066)
2018	($495,526)

All Funds, Five-Year Impact:

Fiscal Year	Probable Revenue Gain/(Loss) from General Revenue Fund 1	Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1	Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2013
2014	$300,000	($1,151,454)	8.0
2015		($793,066)	8.0
2016	$300,000	($795,526)	8.0
2017		($793,066)	8.0
2018	$300,000	($795,526)	8.0

The bill would amend the Government Code to direct the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to establish and maintain a school safety training certification of 15-20 hours duration for employees of an Independent School District or open-enrollment charter school who possess a valid concealed handgun license. The bill would allow DPS to create and adopt rules to implement the provisions of the bill. The bill would also authorize DPS to charge a fee sufficient to cover the costs of implementing the provisions of the bill. The bill would take effect immediately upon a two-thirds vote of all members in both chambers; otherwise, the bill would take effect September 1, 2013.

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) would need to create and update program content, modify Information Technology software applications, and communicate and train agency staff. The agency estimates that it would take existing agency staff 3,848 hours to implement the requirements of this bill in fiscal year 2014. The average cost per hour for staff and related overhead is $40 per hour. This staff time would cost the agency $153,920 in fiscal year 2014. It is also assumed DPS would need to hire contractors for 334 hours for business analysis, developer analysis, quality assurance, security analysis and project management for a cost of $35,808 in fiscal year 2014.

It is assumed DPS would require eight additional FTEs to implement the provisions of the bill. Four Sergeants would be required to train concealed handgun license (CHL) instructors to teach the school safety course. The agency estimates currently there are approximately 3,000 Texas CHL instructors. In order to train the 3,000 current CHL instructors, the agency estimates it would need to two classes per week with approximately 40 students in each class (2 classes * 4 days * 40 students = 3,200 students).

The agency estimates one additional License and Permit Specialist would be required to process applications and ensure that prerequisites are met. This is based on experience with current instructor application standards which processes approximately 25 applications per day.

The agency estimates two Training Specialist III positions would be required to assist commissioned trainers in the classroom and develop and modify curriculum, register students, and provide certificates to the students upon successful completion.

The agency estimates it will require one staff member in an indirect delivery strategy for every eight positions in direct delivery strategies, resulting in one FTE for this estimate. These indirect delivery strategies at DPS cover executive administration, information technology, financial management, human capital management and facilities management. Functions in these indirect strategies include accounting, payroll, human resources, travel, facility maintenance, asset management and related support functions.

DPS estimates revenue gains resulting from the bill's authorization to a charge fee for the training specified in the bill. The agency projects it would establish a fee of $100 for the training specified in the bill. This fee is the same as the current fee for the CHL instructor's two-year certification. The agency estimates this new fee would result in a revenue gain of $300,000 every other year, starting in fiscal year 2014, to the General Revenue Fund. This estimate assumes 3,000 eligible school staff would receive the training in the fiscal year 2014 and then would renew the certification every other year thereafter (thus the fiscal year 2014, 2016 and 2018 annual revenues would be $100 * 3,000 = $300,000). This revenue estimate would vary to the degree the number of eligible individuals seeking the certification is actually greater than or less than the 3,000 assumed in this estimate.

Programming costs are estimated to total approximately $35,808 in fiscal year 2014 to fund 334 contractor hours to assist in developing, testing, evaluating and implementing the Information Technology requirements of the bill.

Local Government Impact

It is assumed that an Independent School District or open-enrollment charter school who opts to send staff to this certification training would be able to absorb the costs associated with the training.