Honorable Bryan Hughes, Chair, Senate Committee on State Affairs
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB1025 by Birdwell (Relating to the authority of the legislature and governor with respect to certain disaster or emergency declarations.), As Introduced
The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined at this time. The fiscal impact would be contingent upon whether a state of disaster is declared within the biennium.
The bill would specify that during a declared state of disaster only the legislature has the authority to suspend a provision of the Code of Criminal Procedure, Election Code, or Penal Code to respond to a disaster, restrict or impair the operation of businesses or places of worship, or extend the governor's state of disaster declaration. The bill would provide the governor the ability to convene the legislature in a special session to respond to a declared state of disaster, as described by Section 8(c), Article IV, Texas Constitution.
According to the Office of the Governor, the fiscal implication of this bill and its potential impacts on federal disaster reimbursements, are unknown.
According to the Legislative Council, a fiscal impact cannot be determined. It is unknown how often and when the governor would call a special session in order to ratify the extension of an emergency or disaster declaration.
Local Government Impact
The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined at this time.