BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1256

By: Ashby

Appropriations

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Specialty court programs have been successfully implemented in a number of counties throughout Texas. These courts not only benefit offenders through judicial intervention programs but also help to save the state money and reduce recidivism through immediate treatment. However, it has been noted that many counties throughout the state are without specialty courts, a fact that has been attributed to a lack of available resources at the county level. H.B. 1256 seeks to bolster funding for specialty court programs in Texas by directing one percent of certain mixed beverage taxes to be deposited to the credit of the specialty court account for use by the criminal justice division within the governor's office.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1256 amends the Tax Code to require the comptroller of public accounts to deposit one percent of the revenue from the mixed beverage gross receipts tax and the mixed beverage sales tax to the credit of the specialty court account in the general revenue fund to be used by the governor's criminal justice division to fund specialty court programs.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2021.