TO:	Honorable Brian Birdwell, Chair, Senate Committee on Border Security
FROM:	Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB2199 by Birdwell (relating to increasing the criminal penalty for loading certain overweight vehicles transporting hazardous materials at a weight that exceeds the weight limitations authorized for the vehicle.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

The bill would increase the penalty for the fine only offense of exceeding load limitations for a vehicle operated on a public highway to a second degree felony when the offense involves the transport of fuel or other hazardous materials in a cargo tank.

Increasing the penalty for an existing offense may result in additional demands upon state correctional resources due to a possible increase in the number of individuals confined and in the length of stay for individuals sentenced to a term of confinement.

Although data is not available to determine the number of fine only violations impacted by the provisions of the bill, it is assumed that any impact on state correctional populations or on the demand for state correctional resources would not be significant.