LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT STATEMENT
 
85TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 20, 2017

TO:
Honorable Drew Darby, Chair, House Committee on State & Federal Power & Responsibility, Select
 
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
SB21 by Birdwell (Relating to the qualifications, duties, and limitations of Texas delegates to a convention called under Article V of the United States Constitution; providing a criminal penalty.), As Engrossed

The provisions of the bill addressing felony sanctions are the subject of this analysis. The bill would amend the Government Code as it relates to the qualifications, duties, and limitations of Texas delegates to a convention called under Article V of the United States Constitution. Under the provisions of the bill, the unauthorized vote by a delegate or alternate delegate to a convention called under Article V of the United States Constitution would be a criminal offense punishable as a state jail felony. The bill would require a judge granting community supervision to require a term of confinement as a condition of community supervision and would provide certain restrictions should the community supervision be revoked.

A state jail felony is punishable by confinement in a state jail for a term from 180 days to 2 years or Class A misdemeanor punishment and an optional fine not to exceed $10,000.

Creating a criminal offense is expected to result in increased demands on the correctional resources of counties or of the State due to a potential increase in the number of individuals placed under supervision in the community or sentenced to a term of confinement within state correctional institutions. This analysis assumes the provisions of the bill addressing felony sanctions would not result in a significant impact on the demand for state correctional resources.


Source Agencies:
LBB Staff:
UP, LM, JPo