Honorable Joan Huffman, Chair, Senate Committee on Jurisprudence
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB24 by Huffman (Relating to the procedures required before a law enforcement agency hires a peace officer.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB24, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($981,008) through the biennium ending August 31, 2023.
General Revenue-Related Funds, Five- Year Impact:
Fiscal Year
Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2022
($744,360)
2023
($236,648)
2024
($237,040)
2025
($237,040)
2026
($237,040)
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
Fiscal Year
Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2021
2022
($744,360)
2.0
2023
($236,648)
2.0
2024
($237,040)
2.0
2025
($237,040)
2.0
2026
($237,040)
2.0
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would amend the Occupations Code by allowing a hiring law enforcement agency to view the contents of a police officer's personnel file.
The bill would amend the Occupations Code by adding Section 1701.4511, which establishes preemployment procedural requirements before a law enforcement agency hires a peace officer.
Methodology
The bill would require the Texas Commission on Law enforcement (TCOLE) to establish forms and procedures that allows a person's employment records to be electronically available to a hiring law enforcement agency.
Based upon the information provided by the agency, it is assumed it would cost $500,000 in fiscal year 2022 for a database system and portal that would be used to facilitate the provisions of the bill.
Additionally, it would require one Systems Support Specialist IV and one Program Specialist II to implement and maintain the system. The total cost for hiring 2.0 FTEs is estimated to be $152,320 in fiscal year 2022, $144,608 in fiscal year 2023, and $145,000 in each fiscal year thereafter.
Technology
According to TCOLE, the estimated cost for electronic security would cost $81,000 per fiscal year and the cloud storage would cost $11,040 per fiscal year.
Local Government Impact
El Paso County and Gaines County do not anticipate a fiscal impact to the counties. However, there may be a one-time fiscal impact to sheriff's offices as a result of implementing the bill's provisions, but in an amount that will not be significant after the first fiscal year.
Source Agencies:
405 Department of Public Safety, 407 Law Enforcement