Honorable James White, Chair, House Committee on Corrections
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB1576 by Perry (Relating to the civil commitment of sexually violent predators, the operation of the Texas Civil Commitment Office, and certain related offenses; increasing a criminal penalty.), As Engrossed
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Health and Safety Code to require the Texas Civil Commitment Office (TCCO) to request a personal identification certificate for committed individuals who do not have a valid license or certificate from the Department of Public Safety, eliminate the requirement for individuals residing at a civil commitment center and not in one of the two most restrictive tiers of treatment, as determined by TCCO, to submit to tracking, and to allow the Special Prosecution Unit, on the request of the local prosecuting attorney, to assist in the trial of certain offenses of civilly committed individuals. The bill would amend the Government Code to require the Texas Ethics Commission to remove the home address of a member of the governing board or the executive head of the TCCO from personal financial information being released to the public, and would amend the Penal Code to expand the scope of certain criminal offenses to civil commitment facilities and individuals committed to those facilities.
The bill would take effect September 1, 2017. The Texas Civil Commitment Office and the Office of Court Administration indicate that any costs associated with the bill could be absorbed within existing agency resources. Based on the LBB's analysis of the Department of Public Safety, the Texas Ethics Commission, the Department of Criminal Justice, and the Special Prosecution Unit, duties and responsibilities associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be accomplished by utilizing existing resources.
Local Government Impact
According to the Department of Public Safety, the bill would have an indeterminate fiscal impact to units of local government.
Source Agencies:
405 Department of Public Safety, 529 Health and Human Services Commission, 696 Department of Criminal Justice, 212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts