Honorable James White, Chair, House Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB323 by King, Phil (Relating to a law enforcement agency accreditation grant program.), As Introduced
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB323, As Introduced : a negative impact of ($273,252,130) through the biennium ending August 31, 2023.
This analysis assumes all law enforcement agencies will pursue a grant, under the grant program established by the bill, and each will receive the maximum amount. However, the cost is dependent on the level of funding provided by the Legislature for this purpose.
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.
General Revenue-Related Funds, Five- Year Impact:
Fiscal Year
Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2022
($136,626,065)
2023
($136,626,065)
2024
($136,626,065)
2025
($136,626,065)
2026
($136,626,065)
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
Fiscal Year
Probable (Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2021
2022
($136,626,065)
2.0
2023
($136,626,065)
2.0
2024
($136,626,065)
2.0
2025
($136,626,065)
2.0
2026
($136,626,065)
2.0
The bill amends Chapter 772 of the Government Code to establish the "Law Enforcement Agency Accreditation Grant Program" through the Office the Governor, which would provide financial assistance to law enforcement agencies in order to obtain and maintain accreditation.
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would allow a law enforcement agency to receive a grant in an amount not to exceed $50,000 in order to obtain or maintain accreditation. It is estimated that the cost of the bill would be $136,626,065 per fiscal year, with a total estimated cost for the 2022-23 biennium of $273,252,130.
The bill specifically mentions two accreditation organizations that are eligible for grants: Texas Police Chiefs Association (TPCA) and the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). These organizations require a "continuation" or "re-recognition" fee as well as additional on-site assessment costs such as "lodging, airfare, the number of assessors utilized, and other actors specifically related to the assessed agency and the geographical area in which it is located."
It is estimated that two additional FTEs (Auditor III and Grant Coordinator I) would be needed to administer awards authorized by the provisions designated in the bill.
This analysis assumes the provisions of the bill would not result in a significant impact on state correctional populations or on the demand for state correctional resources.
Methodology
According to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement website, there are currently 2,729 active law enforcement agencies registered with TCOLE.
Accreditation programs for law enforcement agencies tend to vary in cost depending on the size of the agency. For example, CALEA charges $8,475 for an agency size of 1-24 employees whereas it charges $19,950 for an agency with 1,000+ employees. It is worth noting that the accreditation fee is not the only cost involved in a law enforcement agency seeking accreditation. For example, agencies might be charged separately for on-site costs of initial assessment. Costs might also vary depending on lodging airfare, the number of assessors utilized, and other factors specifically, related to agency assessment.
The bill does not limit specific costs that law enforcement agencies may seek under the grant program to only accreditation costs. Agencies are also able to seek grant funding for costs associated with employee time, policy development, officer training, indirect costs, and other costs related to the accreditation process.
It should be noted that the costs included as part of this fiscal note assume that all law enforcement agencies across Texas would both apply for funding through the program and would each receive the maximum individual grant amount of $50,000. The cost of this program would be dependent on how much the Office of the Governor is appropriated in the upcoming biennium for this program.
Personnel costs for one Grant Coordinator I position and one Auditor II position are based upon salary ranges identified within Schedule B of the State of Texas Salary Schedule for the 2020-21 biennium. These costs amount to $156,065 per year. Other expenses, such as Supplies and Travel, amount to about $15,000 per year.
Local Government Impact
Local law enforcement agencies would be eligible to receive up to $50,000 per year to obtain or maintain accreditation.
Source Agencies:
300 Trusteed Programs - Gov, 407 Law Enforcement, 696 Department of Criminal Justice