Honorable Senfronia Thompson, Chair, House Committee on Youth Health & Safety, Select
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB2687 by Leach (Relating to the age at which a juvenile court may exercise jurisdiction over a child.), As Introduced
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB2687, As Introduced : a positive impact of $10,552,485 through the biennium ending August 31, 2025.
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.
General Revenue-Related Funds, Five- Year Impact:
Fiscal Year
Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2024
$2,915,154
2025
$7,637,331
2026
$7,766,532
2027
$7,403,406
2028
$7,256,889
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
Fiscal Year
Probable Savings from General Revenue Fund 1
2024
$2,915,154
2025
$7,637,331
2026
$7,766,532
2027
$7,403,406
2028
$7,256,889
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would increase the minimum age at which a juvenile court may exercise jurisdiction over a child from 10 years of age to 13 years of age unless the child is alleged or found to have engaged in conduct that contains the elements of certain offenses under the Penal Code. The bill would require a juvenile court, before holding an adjudication hearing, to hold a hearing to determine whether to waive its jurisdiction over a child under 13 years of age and establishes certain procedures for such hearings. The provisions of the bill would apply to offenses committed or conduct that occurs on or after the effective date.
Methodology
Population trends observed in fiscal year 2022 and based on the February 2023 Adult and Juvenile Correctional Population Projections report were analyzed to determine the number of individuals who would no longer be eligible to be placed on juvenile probation supervision, admitted to a state juvenile correctional institution, or placed onto juvenile parole supervision under the provisions of the bill. The estimated impact on juvenile correctional populations is based on trends including placements on supervision, admissions to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD), average time between offense and admission, and average length of supervision or stay.
In fiscal year 2022, there were 3,555 individuals formally referred to a juvenile probation department, 2,021 individuals placed on juvenile probation supervision, and 8 individuals receiving a disposition to a state juvenile correctional institution who likely would not have been eligible to be served by the juvenile justice system under the provisions of the bill.
Savings are based on the February 2023 Criminal and Juvenile Justice Uniform Cost Report and are estimated based on the state uniform costs per day for juveniles on basic juvenile probation supervision ($4.87), in a TJJD state secure residential facility ($709.66), and on juvenile parole supervision ($71.30).
Local Government Impact
While the fiscal impact to units of local government cannot be determined, the decreased demands upon local juvenile correctional resources due to a possible decrease in the number of individuals placed under supervision in the community or sentenced to a term of confinement would likely be significant.
Source Agencies:
212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 644 Juvenile Justice Department