| Vote Recommendation | Economic Freedom | Property Rights | Personal Responsibility | Limited Government | Individual Liberty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
Relating to authorizing the comptroller to release a reported owner's unclaimed property to the owner's crime victim in certain circumstances and payment by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice of certain amounts owed by an inmate.
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
HB 978 would require the Texas Department of Criminal Justice under certain circumstances to file an unclaimed property claim on behalf of a victim of a crime if the owner of the unclaimed property was finally convicted of the crime, ordered to pay restitution to the victim, and is currently confined in a state prison.
A victim of a crime should be compensated by the perpetrator. Whether this is an effective method to achieve that goal is unclear. Texas Action remains neutral on HB 978.