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LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 88TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
April 17, 2023
TO:
Honorable Joe Moody, Chair, House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB1921 by Dutton (Relating to the amount of a fine and costs discharged by a defendant while confined in jail or engaged in labor.), As Introduced
The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined because the revenue impacts due to a lack of reliable data needed to project the number of cases effected by the credit increases proposed by the bill cannot be estimated.
The bill would increase the amount of credit provided to defendants who satisfy payment of their fine and court costs through confinement in jail or by performing labor in a county jail program. In county and district courts, the credit would be increased from $100 to $200 for each day of confinement or labor. In justice and municipal courts, the credit would be increased from $150 to $200 for each period of confinement served, with the convicting court specifying what constitutes a period of confinement, as outlined by the statute.
Based on information provided by the Comptroller of Public Accounts (CPA), the credit increase purposed by the bill could result in decreased revenues to the state; however, due to a lack of reliable data that would determine the number of respective cases, the impact to state revenues cannot be estimated.
Local Government Impact
Based on information provided by the Office of Court Administration (OCA), a significant decrease in fine or court cost collections to local governments is not anticipated because judicial waivers of costs and fines will only occur in cases where defendants are not currently paying the fines and costs. Although the overall impact of the bill would vary by county and municipality based upon the volume of cases, OCA anticipates that some local governments should see reduced jail costs in light of the increased credit.
Source Agencies:
212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts