LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                          Austin, Texas

                           FISCAL NOTE
                       74th Regular Session

                           May 1, 1995



 TO:     Honorable Don Henderson, Chair         IN RE:  Senate BillNo. 1214
         Committee on Jurisprudence                     By: Ellis
         Senate
         Austin, Texas







FROM: John Keel, Director

In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on Senate Bill No.
1214 (relating to the registration and reporting by charitable
organizations) this office has determined the following:

The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal
basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions
of the bill.

The bill would amend the Property Code by adding Chapter 124, the
Charities Registration and Reporting Act.  The purpose of the
bill is to obtain sufficient information about those operating as
charities to be able to determine which organizations may be
violating existing law, so the Attorney General can stop such
practices; to provide other civil penalties, such as injunctive
relief; and to provide a source of information to the public
about charities and their fundraising practices.

The bill would require the Attorney General to maintain a
register of charitable organizations, and generally to make the
information public.  Charitable organizations would be required
to pay a $75 registration fee.  Fees collected pursuant to the
chapter would be used to administer and enforce the chapter and
provide public education.  The Office of the Attorney General
anticipates that approximately 10,000 charitable organizations
would be required to register each year, each paying $75 for the
registration fee, for a total revenue of $750,000 to the state.  

The probable fiscal implication of  implementing the provisions
of the bill during each of the first  five years following     




passage is estimated as follows, per estimate of the Office of
the Attorney General:
     



          Fiscal     Probable Revenue    Probable Cost Out       Change in
           Year      Gain to General        of  General       Number of State
                     Revenue Fund 001     Revenue Fund 001     Employees from
                                                                  FY 1995

        1996                  $750,000             $710,053                7.5
        1997                   750,000              665,605                7.5

        1998                   750,000              665,605                7.5

        1999                   750,000              665,605                7.5
        2000                   750,000              665,605                7.5





Similar annual fiscal implications would continue as long as the
provisions of the bill are in effect.

No fiscal implication to units of local government is
anticipated.


Source:   Office of the Attorney General
          LBB Staff: JK, JC, RR