Honorable Joan Huffman, Chair, Senate Committee on Finance
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB778 by Kolkhorst (Relating to the reimbursement by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department of the costs incurred by counties for housing certain children.), As Introduced
The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined due to the unknown number of youth to be committed to TJJD and the number of days a juvenile is held in a detention facility.
The bill would amend the Human Resources Code to require the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) to reimburse counties that do not have a juvenile detention facility the cost of detaining youth awaiting transfer to TJJD. Under the provisions of the bill, TJJD would be required to establish an application process and eligibility requirements.
The cost of the bill would depend upon the number of youth committed to TJJD, the number of days held at the local level, whether the county has a juvenile detention facility, and TJJD's residential capacity.
Based on the February 2023 Criminal and Juvenile Justice Uniform Cost Report, the total uniform costs per day for a youth in a local facility were $347.84 for a pre-adjudication detention facility and $382.49 for a post-adjudication facility. The state uniform costs per day for a youth in a local facility were $22.45 for a pre-adjudication detention facility and $71.03 for a post-adjudication facility.
The bill would take effect September 1, 2023.
Local Government Impact
The fiscal implications to local juvenile probation departments would be dependent on TJJD's ability to admit youth into agency custody. Based on the February 2023 Criminal and Juvenile Justice Uniform Cost Report, the local uniform costs per day for a youth in a local facility were $325.38 for a pre-adjudication detention facility and $311.46 for a post-adjudication facility.