The bill would amend the Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure as they relate to enhancing criminal penalties for individuals with certain repeat and habitual offenses. Under the provisions of the bill, if it is shown on trial of a Class A misdemeanor that an individuals has been previously convicted at least four times of a Class A misdemeanor or above and each offense was committed within ten years of the current offense, the Class A misdemeanor would be increased to a state jail felony, which could be further increased to the next felony punishment level according to the circumstances outlined in the bill.
According to the Office of Court Administration (OCA), because OCA anticipates the provisions of this bill to affect very few offenses, no significant fiscal impact to the state court system is anticipated. This analysis assumes implementing the provisions of the bill addressing felony sanctions would not result in a significant impact on the demand for state correctional resources.