Honorable John Kuempel, Chair, House Committee on General Investigating & Ethics
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB1437 by Zaffirini (Relating to the electronic filing of reports of political contributions and expenditures and of personal financial statements by certain officeholders and candidates and the content of those statements; creating a criminal offense.), As Engrossed
The provisions of the bill addressing felony sanctions are the subject of this analysis. The bill would amend various codes as they relate to the electronic filing of certain political and financial reports. Under the bill's provisions, certain financial reports would require an accompanying affidavit when filed. These reports would be subject to prosecution for the felony offense of aggravated perjury in certain circumstances. Aggravated perjury is punishable as a third degree felony.
Expanding the types of behavior subject to criminal penalties is expected to result in increased demands on the correctional resources of the state due to additional persons potentially placed under felony community supervision or admitted into state correctional institutions. In fiscal year 2014, 36 people were arrested, fewer than 10 were placed under felony community supervision, and fewer than 10 were admitted into state correctional facilities for the offense of aggravated perjury. Statewide data do not exist to indicate the prevalence of the behaviors subject to felony criminal penalties described in the bill. However, this analysis assumes the bill's provisions would not result in a significant impact on state correctional populations, programs, or workloads.