LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                          Austin, Texas

                           FISCAL NOTE
                       74th Regular Session

                           May 10, 1995



 TO:     Honorable Don Henderson, Chair         IN RE: Committee Substitute
         Committee on Jurisprudence             for
         Senate                                               Senate Bill
         Austin, Texas                          No. 1214
                                                        By: Ellis









FROM: John Keel, Director

In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on Senate Bill No.
1214 (Relating to the registration of and reporting by charitable
organizations; providing penalties.) 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 Chapter 20, Title 132, Revised Statutes by
adding Article 9023d, 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 dedicated for use by the Attorney General to
administer and enforce the Act.  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 the 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, BR, RR