OFFICE OF FISCAL ANALYSIS

Legislative Office Building, Room 5200

Hartford, CT 06106 ¯ (860) 240-0200

http: //www. cga. ct. gov/ofa

sHB-7087

AN ACT CONCERNING METHAMPHETAMINES.

OFA Fiscal Note

State Impact:

Note: GF=General Fund

Municipal Impact:

Explanation

The bill increases criminal penalties for offenses involving methamphetamine-type substances and trafficking in drug paraphernalia. To the extent that these changes increase the likelihood that offenders would be prosecuted or receive harsher penalties, a potential revenue gain from criminal fines and potential cost for incarceration and/or probation supervision in the community exist. It is anticipated that relatively few criminal fines would be imposed on an annual basis, and, consequently, any revenue gain from them is expected to be minimal. On average, it costs the state approximately $2,500 annually to supervise an offender on probation in the community as compared to $41,600 to incarcerate the offender (note that both figures include fringe benefits).

The bill establishes a restricted, non-lapsing account within the General Fund that may be used to reimburse any state or municipal agency charged with cleaning a site where a methamphetamine-type substance was manufactured. The Commissioner of Environmental Protection is authorized under the bill to make payments from this account. The bill requires any person convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine to reimburse the state for payments made from this account to clean up the site with which the defendant is associated. In 2005, there were three sites discovered in Connecticut. The average cost to clean up a site is estimated to be $5,000 per incident, but could be much more. To the extent that a state or municipal agency would otherwise be liable to clean up such a site, the bill could yield savings by shifting the cost to the convicted defendant.

The Out Years

The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would continue into the future subject to inflation.