The provisions of the bill addressing felony sanctions are the subject of this analysis. The bill would amend the Health and Safety Code to update the Texas Controlled Substances Act to include certain synthetic compounds in Penalty Groups 2 and 2-A.

The manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to deliver, of a substance in Penalty Groups 2 or 2-A is punishable at various felony levels, with the level of punishment increasing in severity based on the amount by weight of the substance manufactured, delivered, or possessed with intent to deliver. The possession of a substance in Penalty Groups 2 or 2-A is punishable at various misdemeanor and felony levels, with the level of punishment increasing in severity based on the amount by weight of the substance possessed.
 
Expanding the list of substances for which possession is a criminal offense is expected to result in increased demands upon the correctional resources of counties or of the state due to longer terms of probation, or longer terms of confinement in county jail, or state correctional institutions. This analysis assumes the provisions of the bill would not significantly impact state correctional populations, programs, or workloads.