TO:	Honorable John Whitmire, Chair, Senate Committee on Criminal Justice
FROM:	Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB1970 by Bettencourt (Relating to the prosecution of certain criminal conduct involving a reckless driving exhibition and to the forfeiture of contraband as a result of a reckless driving exhibition.), As Introduced

The bill would make the offense of obstructing a highway or passageway if committed while operating a motor vehicle and engaging in a reckless driving exhibition subject to penalty enhancement one category higher if the offense is committed while engaging in certain organized criminal activities.  Under existing statute, the offense of obstructing a highway or passageway while engaging in a reckless driving exhibition is punishable as a Class A misdemeanor or as a state jail felony depending on the circumstances of the offense.

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 11 individuals arrested, 2 individuals placed on adult community supervision, no individuals placed on juvenile probation supervision, and no individuals admitted into an adult or juvenile state correctional institution for the offense of obstructing a highway or passageway while engaging in a reckless driving exhibition. It is assumed that any impact on state correctional populations or on the demand for state correctional resources would not be significant.