| TO: | Honorable Brian Birdwell, Chair, Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Economic Development |
| FROM: | John McGeady, Assistant Director Sarah Keyton, Assistant Director Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB1993 by Birdwell (Relating to civil and criminal liability for engaging in certain conduct involving a critical infrastructure facility; creating criminal offenses.), As Introduced |
The probable fiscal impact of implementing the bill is indeterminate due to the lack of data or information available on the number of times a person damaged, intended to damage, or tried to interfere with the operations of a critical infrastructure facility. These data are necessary to estimate the fiscal impact of the bill's provisions.
The bill would amend the Government Code to create a criminal offense punishable as a second degree felony for a person who, without the consent of the owner, intentionally or knowingly damages, destroys, vandalizes, defaces, or tampers with a critical infrastructure facility or who intentionally or knowingly impedes, inhibits, or interferes with the operation of a critical infrastructure facility. If the person enters or remains on or in the facility with the intent to commit these actions, the offense is punishable as a state jail felony.
Creating a criminal offense is expected to result in additional demands upon the correctional resources of counties or of the State due to longer terms of supervision in the community or longer terms of confinement in state correctional institutions. The bill may have a negative fiscal impact by increasing the number of people on felony community supervision or incarcerated within state correctional institutions. Whether the bill would result in a significant fiscal impact is indeterminate due to the lack of information on the number of times a person committed these actions against a critical infrastructure facility. The Office of Court Administration does not anticipate a significant impact to the state court system. According to the Comptroller on Public Accounts, the fiscal impact to the state cannot be estimated.
According to the Office of Court Administration, no significant fiscal implication to the local court system is anticipated.
| Source Agencies: | 212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts
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| LBB Staff: | WP, LM, SPa, LCO
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