Honorable Pete Flores, Chair, Senate Committee on Criminal Justice
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB1379 by Flores (Relating to increasing the criminal penalties for forgery.), As Introduced
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB1379, As Introduced: a positive impact of $158,250 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
$959
2027
$157,291
2028
($3,562,225)
2029
($16,906,260)
2030
($37,403,424)
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
Fiscal Year
Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
2026
$959
2027
$157,291
2028
($3,562,225)
2029
($16,906,260)
2030
($37,403,424)
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would increase criminal penalties for the offense of forgery. Under existing statute, the penalties for the offense range from Class C misdemeanor through first degree felony. Under the bill's proposed modifications, the penalty range would increase, ranging from Class B misdemeanor through first degree felony.
Methodology
Based on the January 2025 Biennial Report on Adult Criminal Justice Populations Fiscal Years 2018 to 2030 report, the uniform cost per day for an adult incarcerated in a Texas Department of Criminal Justice systemwide facility was $86.50. In fiscal year 2024, 300 individuals were admitted into prison for forgery. The bill's penalty increases are expected to result in a greater number of individuals being admitted into prison rather than being placed on community supervision as well as a longer length of stay for those admitted. Differences in the time between the arrest and placement onto community supervision as compared to incarceration results in an initial savings followed by increased costs beginning in the fourth year.
Local Government Impact
While the fiscal impact to units of local government cannot be determined and would be contingent on costs associated with enforcement, prosecution, supervision, or confinement related to forgery, the Office of Court Administration indicates that increasing the punishment from a misdemeanor to a felony may reduce the docket volume of county level courts.
Source Agencies:
212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts