Honorable Joe Moody, Chair, House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB1533 by Lozano (Relating to the prosecution of organized criminal activity involving a controlled substance or dangerous drug.), As Introduced
Expanding the conduct constituting and modifying the penalty for an existing offense may result in additional demands upon state correctional resources due to a possible increase in the number of individuals placed under supervision in the community or sentenced to a term of confinement. The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined due to the lack of data to identify the number of additional cases that would qualify as an offense of engaging in organized criminal activity under the provisions of the bill.
The bill would expand the conduct constituting the offense of engaging in organized criminal activity to include unlawful possession of a controlled substance or dangerous drug with the intent to deliver.
The impact on state correctional populations or on the demand for state correctional resources cannot be determined due to the lack of data necessary to identify the prevalence of conduct that would be subject to an increased criminal penalty under the provisions of the bill.
According to the Office of Court Administration, the fiscal impact to the state court system is not expected to be significant.
Local Government Impact
While the fiscal impact cannot be determined, expanding the conduct constituting and modifying the penalty for an existing offense may result in additional demands upon local correctional resources due to a possible increase in the number of individuals placed under supervision in the community or sentenced to a term of confinement.
Source Agencies:
212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts