Honorable Sam Harless, Chair, House Committee on Corrections
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB4614 by Harless (relating to the licensing and regulation of state correctional
officers and the employment of those officers; requiring an
occupational license.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB4614, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: a negative impact of ($2,177,802) through the biennium ending August 31, 2027.
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
2026
($1,124,323)
2027
($1,053,479)
2028
($1,053,479)
2029
($1,053,479)
2030
($1,053,479)
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
Fiscal Year
Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
2026
($1,124,323)
2027
($1,053,479)
2028
($1,053,479)
2029
($1,053,479)
2030
($1,053,479)
Fiscal Analysis
This bill would require the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) to develop and issue licenses to state correctional officers.
Methodology
TCOLE currently has a licensed population they oversee of approximately 119,000. This analysis assumes that adding state correctional officers would result in an approximate 20% increase in this licensed population. It is assumed that 10.0 additional FTE positions would be required to implement provisions of the bill, including 1.0 Education Specialist, 4.0 Investigators, 1.0 Information Technology Support Specialist, 1.0 Attorney, 1.0 Legal Assistant, and 2.0 License and Permit Specialists. This analysis includes a total of $465,737 in General Revenue in both fiscal years 2026 and 2027 for salary and benefits.
Other costs in fiscal year 2026 include professional services related to necessary IT upgrades ($70,844), increased rent ($100,811), increased travel ($23,500), one-time vehicle purchase costs for commissioned peace officers ($290,276), other operating expenses ($117,155), and increased fuel costs ($56,000) that would total $658,586. Other costs in fiscal year 2027 are estimated to be $587,742.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice indicates that the costs associated with the bill's provisions could be absorbed using existing resources.
Technology
According to TCOLE, certain information technology adjustments would be required to add functionality necessary to license state correctional officers, which would be a one-time cost of approximately $70,844.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
407 Commission on Law Enforcement, 696 Department of Criminal Justice