LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                          Austin, Texas

                           FISCAL NOTE
                       74th Regular Session

                          April 23, 1995



 TO:     Honorable Ken Armbrister, Chair        IN RE:  Senate Bill No.
         Committee on State Affairs             1391,
         Senate                                               as amended
         Austin, Texas                                  By: Ellis









FROM: John Keel, Director

In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on Senate Bill No.
1391 (Relating to records and seals of notaries public and to
qualification as a notary public.) 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 streamline the procedure for commissioning a
notary public by consolidating the current two-step procedure for
qualification into one step.  In addition, the same application
form would be used for obtaining both new and renewal
commissions.  The form would contain all the elements necessary
for qualification as a notary public.

The bill would eliminate the requirement for the Secretary of
State to mail an application for reappointment to notaries whose
commissions are expiring.  It also increases the amount of the
notary bond from $2,500.00 to $10,000.00.  The bill would provide
for the use of existing stocks of notary commissions when either
the Governor or the Secretary of State ceases to hold or perform
the duties of office.

The savings to general revenue is based on the estimated savings
for printing and postage costs that will result from combining
the commissioning procedure into a one-step process and from    




eliminating the mailing of renewal notices.

 

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 Secretary
of State:
     



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

        1996                   $48,624                .0
        1997                    56,244                .0

        1998                    43,644                .0

        1999                    41,544                .0
        2000                    52,044                .0



       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:   Secretary of State
          LBB Staff: JK, BR, RR