Honorable James White, Chair, House Committee on Corrections
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB1550 by Frank (Relating to requiring the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to reimburse counties for certain costs for confining a person pending a transfer to the department.), As Introduced
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB1550, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($131,778,000) 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
($65,889,000)
2019
($65,889,000)
2020
($65,889,000)
2021
($65,889,000)
2022
($65,889,000)
Fiscal Year
Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
2018
($65,889,000)
2019
($65,889,000)
2020
($65,889,000)
2021
($65,889,000)
2022
($65,889,000)
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would amend the Government Code, Chapter 499 and Chapter 508 to require the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) to reimburse counties for certain costs for confining a person pending a transfer to TDCJ. Under the provisions of the bill, a county would be entitled to reimbursement from TDCJ for the cost of confining certain inmates at a rate of $45 for each day an inmate remains confined following the date on which all processing required for transfer has been completed. The Comptroller would be required to reimburse the county in the amount requested from funds appropriated to TDCJ. The bill would take effect September 1, 2017.
Methodology
Based on data provided by TDCJ, there are 40,097 inmates confined in county jail while under an order of commitment to the TDCJ (Chapter 499). The average confinement period is 17.4 days, therefore the state would be required to reimburse $31,396,000 to affected counties. TDCJ reports an average of 2,100 offenders per day under parole and mandatory supervision technical violations housed in county jails (Chapter 508). The state would be required to reimburse counties $34,493,000 in costs for that population. The combined cost for both populations is therefore $65,889,000 per fiscal year.
Local Government Impact
The bill would have a significant positive fiscal impact on counties as the result of reimbursement for certain costs for confining a person pending a transfer to TDCJ.
Source Agencies:
304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 696 Department of Criminal Justice