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LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 89TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 1, 2025

TO:	Honorable Joan Huffman, Chair, Senate Committee on Finance
FROM:	Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB1620 by Huffman (Relating to the establishment of the Texas forensic analyst apprenticeship pilot program.), As Introduced

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB1620, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($4,832,146) 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	($2,416,073)
2027	($2,416,073)
2028	($2,416,073)
2029	($2,416,073)
2030	($2,416,073)

All Funds, Five-Year Impact:

Fiscal Year	Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
2026	($2,416,073)
2027	($2,416,073)
2028	($2,416,073)
2029	($2,416,073)
2030	($2,416,073)

Fiscal Analysis

The bill would add a new subchapter to Government Code requiring the Office of Court Administration (OCA), in collaboration with the Texas Forensic Science Commission (TFSC), to create a new Texas Forensic Analyst Apprenticeship Pilot Program. The bill would require OCA to provide contracts to accredited crime laboratories that are awarded apprenticeship positions by TFSC. 

The bill would also require OCA to provide contracts to the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, Sam Houston State University's Institute for Forensic Research, Training, and Innovation, and Texas A&M's Department of Statistics for curriculum creation in certain forensic science disciplines.

The bill also provides rulemaking authority to OCA to establish eligibility requirements for the program.

Methodology

According to the Office of Court Administration, the cost to provide contracts to universities for the creation of new forensic science programs totals $542,760 each fiscal year and the total cost to provide contracts to accredited forensic science labs who are awarded apprenticeship positions totals $1,800,000 each fiscal year. Additionally, the total cost to provide administrative support to the program totals $73,313 each fiscal year.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 710 Texas A&M University System Administrative and General Offices, 758 Texas State University System, 769 University of North Texas System Administration

LBB Staff:

JMc, KK, DA, JPa