According to the Legislative Budget Board (LBB), HB 1024 is not expected to result in any significant fiscal impact to the State of Texas. The agencies primarily responsible for implementing the bill—the Department of Public Safety (DPS), the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), and the Board of Pardons and Paroles—indicated that any additional costs related to the execution of warrants under the proposed mandate could be absorbed within their existing operational budgets and resources.

The bill requires law enforcement agencies to promptly execute warrants for releasees in the Super-Intensive Supervision Program (SISP) who violate electronic monitoring conditions. While this could theoretically increase operational activity, especially for field personnel, the agencies do not anticipate the volume or cost of such activity to rise to a level that would necessitate new funding or expanded staffing.

Additionally, the bill is not expected to impose a significant financial burden on local governments. Counties and municipal law enforcement agencies, which may also participate in executing these warrants, are likewise anticipated to manage any procedural or workload changes within current budget frameworks. This indicates that HB 1024 enhances enforcement procedures without creating new financial obligations for either state or local entities.

HB 1024 addresses a public safety concern by requiring law enforcement agencies to promptly execute warrants for individuals in the Super-Intensive Supervision Program (SISP) who violate conditions of parole or mandatory supervision related to electronic monitoring. This group includes high-risk individuals convicted of violent crimes such as sexual assault, aggravated robbery, and kidnapping. Currently, there is no statutory requirement to enforce these warrants in a timely manner, leaving a potential gap that could jeopardize public safety or the well-being of victims. HB 1024 seeks to close that gap with a clear, narrow directive.

Importantly, HB 1024 fully honors due process. It applies exclusively to individuals who are already under lawful supervision following a criminal conviction and who have consented to specific conditions, including electronic monitoring, as a term of their release. The bill does not authorize new enforcement mechanisms or grant arrest powers beyond what is already permitted under existing law. It simply requires timely execution of judicial warrants that have already been issued based on probable cause, ensuring that the rule of law is respected at every stage. The bill also contains a prospective application clause, meaning it does not retroactively apply to warrants issued before its effective date, further reinforcing due process protections.

From a fiscal standpoint, the Legislative Budget Board anticipates no significant cost to the state or to local governments. The agencies responsible for implementation, including the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Criminal Justice, are expected to absorb any added duties within existing resources. HB 1024 does not increase the size or scope of government, impose a burden on taxpayers, or regulate private citizens or businesses.

In conclusion, HB 1024 advances public safety and accountability in a constitutionally sound, fiscally responsible, and liberty-conscious manner. As such, Texas Policy Research recommends that lawmakers vote YES on HB 1024 for its targeted solution to a well-defined problem, its respect for legal process, and its alignment with core principles of limited government and individual responsibility.

• Individual Liberty: The bill respects individual liberty by applying only to individuals who have already been convicted of a crime and are under lawful, court-ordered supervision. It does not create new offenses or authorize warrantless arrests. Instead, it ensures the timely enforcement of already-issued judicial warrants when individuals violate electronic monitoring conditions. These terms are agreed to as part of parole or mandatory supervision, meaning the individual retains liberty in exchange for adherence to lawful constraints. The bill enhances accountability without imposing new limitations on the general public’s freedoms.
• Personal Responsibility: This bill strongly upholds personal responsibility. Individuals in the Super-Intensive Supervision Program (SISP) are subject to enhanced monitoring due to the severity of their offenses. The bill ensures that when a releasee violates a core condition—electronic monitoring—the consequences are enforced promptly. This reinforces the principle that freedom comes with conditions and that individuals must be accountable for complying with them to retain that freedom.
• Free Enterprise: There is no direct impact on private businesses or the free market. The bill neither regulates commerce nor imposes compliance burdens on employers, vendors, or other private actors. Indirectly, to the extent that increased public safety may contribute to economic stability, the bill can be seen as supportive of the free enterprise environment.
• Private Property Rights: The bill does not affect property ownership or use. It is limited strictly to public enforcement of existing supervision conditions and does not authorize any seizure of property or changes to land use, zoning, or property regulations.
• Limited Government: The bill exemplifies limited government in action. It does not create new enforcement mechanisms or agencies, nor does it expand state power over new groups of people. Rather, it ensures that existing authority, already granted by courts through warrants, is used efficiently and promptly. It focuses the state’s response on a small, high-risk group rather than imposing broader regulations or mandates, keeping the scope of government action both targeted and restrained.