TO:	Honorable John Whitmire, Chair, Senate Committee on Criminal Justice
FROM:	Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB1166 by Birdwell (Relating to the punishment for the offense of burglary of a vehicle involving theft of a firearm; increasing a criminal penalty.), As Introduced

The bill would increase the criminal penalty for burglary of a vehicle from a Class A misdemeanor to a third degree felony if the actor was breaking into and entering a vehicle with intent to commit theft of a firearm.

Increasing the penalty for an existing offense may result in additional demands upon state and 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.

In fiscal year 2022, there were 3,554 individuals arrested, 480 individuals placed on adult community supervision, 350 individuals placed on juvenile community supervision, 96 individuals admitted into an adult state correctional institution, and no individuals admitted into a juvenile state correctional institution for the offense of burglary of a vehicle. It is unknown how many cases involved intent to commit theft of a firearm and would be subject to an increased penalty under the bill's provisions.