OFFICE OF FISCAL ANALYSIS

Legislative Office Building, Room 5200

Hartford, CT 06106 ↓ (860) 240-0200

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HB-5802

AN ACT ADOPTING CERTAIN SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE THOMAS COMMISSION.

AMENDMENT

LCO No.: 6505

File Copy No.: 238

House Calendar No.: 149

OFA Fiscal Note

State Impact:

Note: GF=General Fund

Municipal Impact: None

Explanation

The amendment increases the fine in the underlying bill for the use of flammable gas to clean gas piping at a natural gas facility from $1, 000 to $100, 000 and increases the term of imprisonment from no more than six months to two years. This change will result in a potential revenue gain of less than $500, 000 to the General Fund. The estimate assumes that the establishment of a fine and/or imprisonment for this offense will increase the likelihood that an estimated 10 offenders annually would be prosecuted and receive harsher penalties than under current law.¹

To the extent that these changes increase the likelihood that offenders would be prosecuted or receive harsher penalties than currently provided for, potential cost for incarceration and/or probation supervision in the community would result. On average, it costs the state $3, 785 to supervise an offender on probation in the community as compared to $48, 545 to incarcerate the offender.

The amendment also makes additional technical and clarifying changes that do not result in a fiscal impact.

The preceding Fiscal Impact statement is prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for the purposes of information, summarization and explanation and does not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose. In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst's professional knowledge. Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.