BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1925

By: West

Appropriations

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Recent legislation sought to facilitate the use of juvenile case managers in diverting juveniles from the criminal justice system by imposing a court cost on certain convictions in municipal and justice courts and depositing those collections into a new account in the general revenue fund, to be appropriated to the criminal justice division of the governor's office for distribution to local governments for truancy prevention and intervention services. The account created by that legislation, interested parties note, was not specifically exempted from legislation that consolidated funds during the same legislative session, meaning all revenue associated with the new account was deposited to general revenue. S.B. 1925 seeks to give effect to the original intent of the recent legislation by rededicating revenue received from certain court costs to the truancy prevention and diversion fund.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 1925 reenacts certain Code of Criminal Procedure provisions establishing the truancy prevention and diversion fund as a dedicated account in the general revenue fund, requiring the comptroller of public accounts to deposit funds received from certain court costs to the credit of the dedicated account, and limiting the legislature's appropriation of money from the account to the criminal justice division of the governor's office for distribution to local governmental entities for truancy prevention and intervention services. The bill provides for the rededication of money so dedicated to the truancy prevention and diversion fund.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2015.