LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT STATEMENT

87TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 6, 2021

TO:
Honorable Nicole Collier, Chair, House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
 
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB439 by Canales (Relating to the criminal penalties for possession or delivery of marihuana and marihuana concentrate.), As Introduced

The provisions of the bill addressing felony sanctions are the subject of this analysis.  The bill would amend various codes as they relate to the possession and delivery of marihuana and marihuana concentrate. Under existing statute, punishments for these offenses range from a Class B misdemeanor through life imprisonment but do not address marihuana concentrate. 

A first degree felony is punishable by confinement in prison for life or a term from 5 to 99 years; a second degree felony is punishable by confinement in prison for a term from 2 to 20 years; a third degree felony is punishable by confinement in prison for a term from 2 to 10 years; and a state jail felony is punishable by confinement in a state jail for a term from 180 days to 2 years or a class A misdemeanor. In addition to confinement, most felonies have an optional fine not to exceed $10,000. A Class A misdemeanor is punishable by confinement in county jail for a term not to exceed one year and, in addition to confinement, an optional fine not to exceed $4,000. A Class B misdemeanor is punishable by confinement in county jail for a term not to exceed 180 days and in addition to confinement, an optional fine not to exceed $2,000.

Expanding the set of behaviors for a criminal offense is expected to result in additional demands on the correctional resources of the counties or of the State due to an increase in individuals placed under supervision in the community or sentenced to terms of confinement in state correctional institutions. The bill may have a negative population impact by increasing the number of people on felony community supervision or incarcerated within state correctional institutions. From fiscal year 2018 to 2020, 201,302 people were arrested, 34,567 were placed on direct community supervision, and 1,662 were admitted into a state correctional institution for marihuana possession and delivery offenses under existing statute which, under the provisions of the bill, would be modified.  Whether the bill would result in a significant population impact is indeterminate due to the lack of information on the number of persons who possessed or delivered marihuana concentrate. 




Source Agencies:
LBB Staff:
JMc, DKN, LM, DGI