LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT STATEMENT
 
84TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 19, 2015

TO:
Honorable Abel Herrero, Chair, House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
 
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB595 by Clardy (relating to the addition of certain substances to Penalty Groups 1-A and 2 of the Texas Controlled Substances Act for criminal prosecution and other purposes.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

The provisions of the bill addressing felony sanctions for criminal offenses are the subject of this analysis. The bill would amend the Health and Safety Code as it relates to the addition of certain substances to the list of Penalty Group 1-A and Penalty Group 2 substances in the Texas Controlled Substances Act. Under current law, possession, manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to deliver a Penalty Group 1-A or a Penalty Group 2 substance is punishable at various felony levels and punishment is based on the amount of 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 the state due to longer terms of probation or longer terms of confinement in state correctional institutions. This analysis assumes the provisions of the bill would not significantly impact state correctional populations, programs, or workloads.




Source Agencies:
LBB Staff:
UP, LM, ESi