LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT STATEMENT
 
83RD LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 22, 2013

TO:
Honorable Abel Herrero, Chair, House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
 
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB3377 by Turner, Sylvester (Relating to the creation of a prostitution prevention program; authorizing a fee.), As Introduced

The bill would amend the Health and Safety Code relating to the creation of a prostitution prevention program. The bill would require counties with populations greater than 200,000 to establish a prostitution prevention program for certain defendants prosecuted for certain prostitution offenses. Under the provisions of the bill, the court will enter an order of nondisclosure on the case (i.e., dismissal or discharge) if the defendant successfully completes the program.
 
The bill would take effect immediately upon receipt of a two-thirds vote from all members elected to each house. Otherwise, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2013, and only apply to offenses committed on or after that date.
 
Among fiscal year 2012 arrests for prostitution offenses specified in the bill, offense levels ranged from a Class C misdemeanor to a first-degree felony offense.

Establishing prostitution prevention programs could reduce the number of offenders placed on community supervision or admitted to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. However, the program's impact on these populations would depend on the expediency with which counties or municipalities would be able to establish the program, the number of defendants admitted to the program, the length of the program, and the number of program participants who would successfully complete the program. In fiscal year 2012, there were 28,718 arrests (11,392 individuals); 796 community supervision placements (780 individuals); and 781 admissions (732 individuals) to prison, state jail, or substance abuse felony punishment facilities for prostitution offenses specified in the bill.



Source Agencies:
LBB Staff:
UP, GG, JGA