LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT STATEMENT
 
84TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 27, 2015

TO:
Honorable Abel Herrero, Chair, House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
 
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB3209 by Fletcher (Relating to the elimination of the statute of limitations for certain felony offenses.), As Introduced

The provisions of the bill addressing felony sanctions are the subject of this analysis. The bill would amend the Penal Code to eliminate the statute of limitations for tampering with or fabricating certain physical evidence and certain boating offenses involving the death of a person. These offenses are punishable at various felony and misdemeanor levels, depending on the circumstances of the offense.

Eliminating the statute of limitations is expected to result in greater demands on the correctional resources of the state due to additional people potentially placed under felony community supervision or admitted into state correctional institutions. In fiscal year 2014, 4,420 people were arrested, 434 were placed on felony community supervision, and 591 were admitted to state correctional institutions for the offense of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence. Also in fiscal year 2014, fewer than 10 people were arrested, fewer than 10 were placed under felony community supervision, and fewer than 10 were admitted into state correctional institutions for certain boating offense applicable to the bill's provisions. Statewide data are not available to indicate which persons who commit the offense of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence or certain boating offenses involving the death of a person would be applicable to the bill's provisions. However, this analysis assumes the bill's provisions would not result in a significant impact on state correctional populations, programs, or workloads.







Source Agencies:
LBB Staff:
UP, LM, ESi