Floor substitute out for Jessica's Law (HB 8)

Capitol Annex apparently has the goods on tomorrow's House floor substitute for Texas' version of "Jessica's Law" (HB 8). It looks a lot different from the original, and yet, much the same. See his blog analysis and the now-74-page draft of the bill. Talk about laws and sausages! This, my friends, is why we have a committee process. Sigh. But that's just spilled milk now. We'll see if this 74 pages is what we get, or if there are additional amendments tomorrow afternoon on the House floor.

I still question the fiscal note for HB 8, which I have argued was signficantly lowballed. It turns out I'm not the only one. Steve Hall at the Stand Down blog had this analysis comparing HB 8's fiscal note to the costs assigned to similar versions of "Jessica's Law" in other states:

Another indication of the express track of the legislation was its fiscal note. The Legislative Budget Board, which prepares fiscal notes for all legislation getting a hearing, judged the bill to have, "No significant fiscal implication to the state for the first five years following passage of the bill.," and "No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated."

Florida passed similar legislation in 2005 (the first Jessica's Law to pass), and HB 1877's analysis showed a significant cost.

The department estimates the cost for FY 2005-06 to be $2.5 million. The cost increases to $6.9 million in the second year and to $13.4 million in the third year.

Last year, the Tennessee legislature considered a Jessica's Law proposal. The fiscal note for companion bills SB 2490 and HB 2924 was similar, projected to be in excess of $14 million dollars per year. Colleagues have related that the costs associated with the bill was one reason Tennessee legislators rejected the bill.

Some questioned why the LBB had come up with such a different answer in a state with a larger population and the most active death row in America.

I don't suppose we'll get to see a fiscal note on the substitute version of the bill before tomorrow's vote. But since the first one ignored most of the costs, maybe it's just as well. We'll see what happens Monday. UPDATE: Emily Ramshaw at the Dallas News this morning (3/5) also questions HB 8's cost estimates.

SEE GRITS FOLLOWUP COVERAGE

RELATED GRITS COVERAGE:

• Death penalty for Catholic priests?
• Jessica's Law needs amending on the House floor
  
• Are child molesters rational, or not?
• Sex crimes and elderly prisoners' health costs
• The Real Cost of Jessica's Law: Deconstructing the Fiscal Note for HB 8
• 'I misremember it well: Eyewitness deficiencies
• Plenty of innocent names to attach to amendment for Jessica's Law
• Destruction of DNA evidence thwarts justice
• Innocence reforms needed to make sex offender law palatable
• House Corrections Committee: Community-based treatment more effective for sex offenders
• When tough on crime is hard on the coffers
• Victim advocates oppose sex offender enhancements
• Unintended consequence: Why the death penalty for repeat child molesters would harm children's safety