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Relating to a grant program to fund domestic
violence high risk teams.
The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined at this time due to the number of unknown variables such as the number of grants and the value of grants.
According to the OAG, the following variables related to the bill provisions are unknown:
1) The number of grants that would be awarded to Domestic Violence High Risk Teams each fiscal year;
2) The average grant award to Domestic Violence High Risk Teams each fiscal year;
3) The amount of Federal Funds that would be available to support grants to Domestic Violence High Risk Teams each fiscal year; and
4) The precise activities that would be funded with grants to Domestic Violence High Risk Teams each fiscal year.
There could be an indeterminate fiscal impact to the state depending upon the number of grants
and the amount of funding that would be made available.
5/6/15 Update:
This bill is substantively the same as when we reported on it in its original chamber. We continue to remain neutral. Second chamber sponsor is Senator Huffman.
First chamber analysis below:
HB 3327 would establish a domestic violence high
risk teams grant program. The Attorney General's office would use appropriated funds for
this purpose to award grants to these teams. The teams' duties would include funding activities that would reduce, prevent, or provide assistance to domestic
violence victims. The Attorney General would establish a procedure to
administer the grant program and would be able to supplement the program
through federal funds.
Setting up a way for the attorney general to coordinate with local governments in order to prevent domestic violence may well be sound public policy in furtherance of victims' rights. However, this legislation is written in a way that is vague and ill-defined as to the mechanism by which its aims would be achieved. Our concern about this legislation is that there is simply no way to know at this point what it would do, how it would do it, or at what cost. We urge legislators to exercise caution before passing legislation with so many unknown variables.
Due to the lack of information available to determine the answers to those unknown variables, there is no basis to determine how this legislation would impact our liberty principles. Therefore we remain neutral on HB 3327.