LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 88TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

March 28, 2023

TO:	Honorable Victoria Neave Criado, Chair, House Committee on County Affairs
FROM:	Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB2959 by Cain (Relating to providing children committed to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department and prisoners serving a sentence in a county jail with certain documents on discharge or release; authorizing a fee.), As Introduced

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB2959, As Introduced : an impact of $0 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	$0
2025	$0
2026	$0
2027	$0
2028	$0

All Funds, Five-Year Impact:

Fiscal Year	Probable (Cost) from Vital Statistics Account 19	Probable Revenue Gain from Vital Statistics Account 19	Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2023
2024	($220,217)	$220,217	2.0
2025	($183,964)	$183,964	2.0
2026	($183,964)	$183,964	2.0
2027	($183,964)	$183,964	2.0
2028	($183,964)	$183,964	2.0

Fiscal Analysis

The Texas Juvenile Justice Department would be required to submit a request for identification on the intake of a child to enable the child to have a personal identification certificate at discharge.

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) would provide a personal identification certificate when requested by a county sheriff if a prisoner of a county jail would not have a valid license or certificate at discharge. The request would be made on the intake of a prisoner to enable the prisoner to have the certificate at discharge.

A memorandum of understanding between the Commission on Jail Standards, DPS, and the vital statistics unit of the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) would establish responsibilities with respect to issuance of personal identification certificates issued to prisoners in county jails. DSHS would be required to electronically verify the birth record of a prisoner whose name and any other personal information is provided by a county sheriff seeking a personal identification certificate when a prisoner is discharged from the county jail. DSHS would be required to electronically report the recorded filing information to DPS to validate the identity of a prisoner.

The sheriff or commissioners court of the county would reimburse DPS or DSHS for actual costs incurred by the agencies in issuing a prisoner with a personal identification certificate or electronic verification of birth records. The sheriff may charge a prisoner for costs incurred or for any additional fees required by Section 521.421 of the Transportation Code.

Methodology

It is assumed that DSHS would require additional Customer Services Representative V positions (2.0 FTEs) to support and process increased demand for requests. It is assumed that reimbursements from county officials would provide DSHS with additional revenue in General Revenue Dedicated - Vital Statistics Account No. 19.

It is assumed that any costs incurred by the Department of Public Safety, Juvenile Justice Department, and Commission on Jail Standards could be absorbed using existing resources.

Technology

It is assumed that Information Technology costs at DSHS would be $69,235 in fiscal year 2024 at DSHS to modify the Texas Electronic Vital Events Registration (TxEVER) system to electronically report birth record information to DPS and to validate prisoner identities for the purposes of obtaining a personal identification certificate.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

405 Department of Public Safety, 409 Commission on Jail Standards, 537 State Health Services, Department of, 644 Juvenile Justice Department

LBB Staff:

JMc, AF, ER, APA