Honorable Poncho Nevárez, Chair, House Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety
FROM:
John McGeady, Assistant Director Sarah Keyton, Assistant Director Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB2607 by King, Ken (Relating to checkpoints established by the Department of Public Safety at roadways entering this state from New Mexico or Oklahoma.), As Introduced
The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined at this time, but it is anticipated to be significant.
The bill would require the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to establish a program that would create state border crossing checkpoints to prevent the importation of controlled substances from New Mexico and Oklahoma. The bill would also provide authority to use the a checkpoints to identify the occurrence of other criminal offenses.
According to DPS, by including all streets and highways between Texas, and New Mexico and Oklahoma, far more checkpoints would be required than DPS could field within current resources. To monitor all passenger vehicle and commercial traffic on an around the clock basis along inter-state borders would require an undetermined, but significant staffing and budgetary increase. It is assumed there would also be additional costs for the construction and maintenance of the checkpoint facilities.
Local Government Impact
The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined at this time as the bill provides that DPS may establish the state border crossing checkpoint program in conjunction with local law enforcement authorities and that DPS and local law enforcement authorities may share the cost of staffing the checkpoints.