Colorado Legislative Council Staff

STATE AND LOCAL

REVISED FISCAL IMPACT

(replaces fiscal impact dated April 26, 1999)

TITLE:            CONCERNING PAROLE OF PERSONS SENTENCED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS.

Rationale for Fiscal Note Revision

            On April 27, 1999, the House Committee of the Whole amended the reengrossed bill to strike the section of the House Appropriations Committee report dated April 23, 1999, that authorized the use of hearing officers and revoked the use of an administrative law judge to conduct hearings. In its present form, the revised bill adds one citizen member to the state board of parole and instructs the development of parole revocation guidelines. Therefore, the revised bill reverts to its status as of the Judiciary Committee report dated April 15,1999 and the fiscal impact reverts to its impact in the fiscal note dated April 16, 1999.

Summary of Amended Legislation

            Section 1 adds one citizen member to the State Board of Parole. Sections 2 through 4 instruct the Division of Criminal Justice, Department of Public Safety, in conjunction with the Department of Corrections and the State Board of Parole, to develop parole revocation guidelines to be approved by the Colorado Commission on Parole Guidelines. Chairmanship of this commission is transferred from the Attorney General to the executive director of the Department of Public Safety.

State Expenditures

            Department of Corrections (DOC), $93,118 GF and 1.0 FTE in FY 2000-01 — According to Section 7 of this bill, the effective date for the addition of a parole board member is July 1, 2000, contingent upon the passage of HB99-1168. If HB99-1168 is not enacted, Section 1 of this bill that establishes an additional member to the State Board of Parole will not take effect. Assuming HB99-1168 passes, this bill has no fiscal impact in FY 1999-00. In FY 2000-01, the addition of a member to the State Board of Parole would require $93,118 GF and 1.0 FTE. Table 1 below summarizes the costs associated with this additional member. The travel costs associated with a new parole board member are drawn from DOC current travel cost estimates and the projected growth in hearing workloads from the Legislative Council Staff Study on the State Parole System (September 1998).

Table 1: Parole Board Employment Changes, FY 2000-01

*Travel costs determined by multiplying current (FY 98-99) travel costs by growth in hearing workload by ratio of old FTE to new FTE.

Expenditures Not Included

            Pursuant to the Joint Budget Committee’s budget policies, the following expenditures have not been included in this fiscal note:

            •   health and life insurance costs ($1,776 in FY 2000-01);

            •   short-term disability costs ($152 in FY 2000-01);

            •   inflationary cost factors;

            •   leased space ($5,000/FTE in FY 2000-01); and

            •   indirect costs.

State Appropriations

            This fiscal note implies that no appropriation will be necessary for FY 1999-00.

Departments Contacted

            Corrections                 Law                Public Defender                      Public Safety