FISCAL NOTE

House Bill 2 as passed the House of Representatives provides that the current provisions regarding certain inmates nearing the end of their sentence to be released by the Department of Corrections (DOC) to the supervision of the Board of Pardons and Paroles (Board) is applicable regardless of when the defendant was sentenced or committed the crime, which would decrease the obligations of (DOC) by an undetermined amount, dependent upon the number of inmates that are released per the provisions of this bill. This bill further requires DOC, in conjunction with the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), to assist inmates in obtaining a non-driver identification card upon release. In addition, this bill requires DOC to provide a birth certificate to each inmate released. Based upon the average number of inmates released over the past 4.5 fiscal years, this bill would: (1) increase the obligations of the DOC by an estimated minimum of $292,000 annually to provide non-driver identification cards, assuming DOC is required to pay the $36.25 cost of a non-driver identification card to ALEA; and (2) increase the obligations of the DOC by an estimated minimum of $121,000 annually, assuming DOC is required to pay the $15 Vital Records search fee to the Department of Public (ADPH) to issue birth certificates to inmates.

Further this bill provides for the electronic monitoring of certain offenders released to the supervision of the Board. According to the Board, this would increase the obligations of the Board, beginning in fiscal year 2023, by an estimated $43,000 per month to monitor an estimated 400 inmates released into the custody of the Board.