Honorable Joe Moody, Chair, House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB835 by Stephenson (Relating to the reporting and disposition of proceeds and property from criminal asset forfeiture.), As Introduced
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB835, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($708,627) through the biennium ending August 31, 2019.
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.
Fiscal Year
Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2018
($708,627)
2019
$0
2020
$0
2021
$0
2022
$0
Fiscal Year
Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
2018
($708,627)
2019
$0
2020
$0
2021
$0
2022
$0
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would amend the Code of Criminal Procedure to require all law enforcement agencies to produce an audit containing detailed information related to certain criminal asset forfeitures and provide this information to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG). OAG would be required to publish a summary report of the audits on its website no later than February 1st each year.
The bill would take effect September 1, 2017.
Methodology
Currently, the OAG is the repository agency for the filing of the required audit report modified by this bill. The OAG has developed a web-based database where agencies file their reports. Provisions of the bill would require the audits provided by law enforcement to provide additional detailed information related to individual seizures and criminal charges. In order to modify the current database to meet the new data collection requirements, the OAG anticipates additional technology costs due to modifying the current database system.
According to the Office of the Attorney General estimates the bill provisions would require one-time information technology system development and software licenses in 2018 to accommodate the additional detail law enforcement entities would be required to provide. The fiscal impact would be $708,627 in fiscal year 2018 for one-time costs for information technology system development and software license costs.
Technology
It is assumed the Office of the Attorney General would require $708,627 in fiscal year 2018 to pay for one-time staff augmentation using information technology contractors and additional license costs.
Local Government Impact
There may be administrative costs to local law enforcement agencies to comply with certain reporting requirements; however, no significant fiscal implication is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
308 State Auditor's Office, 405 Department of Public Safety, 407 Commission on Law Enforcement, 302 Office of the Attorney General