LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE 74th Regular Session March 22, 1995 TO: Honorable Ken Armbrister, Chair IN RE: Senate Joint Committee on State Affairs Resolution Senate No. 34, as Austin, Texas amended By: Nelson FROM: John Keel, Director In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on Senate Joint Resolution No. 34 (proposing a constitutional amendment to reserve to the people the powers of initiative and referendum) this office has determined the following: The resolution proposes a constitutional amendment which, if adopted, would reserve to the people the powers of initiative and referendum. Counties would be required to conduct initiative and referendum elections. The Secretary of State would be required to prepare and print certain mailouts, supply forms and perform statistical samplings in order to verify petitions. The Secretary of State estimates there would be one initiative or referendum election on the ballot following each legislative session. The Attorney General would be required to advise petitioners as to the proper form and language of proposed measures, to redraft certain measures, or in the event a proposed measure is unconstitutional, to provide a written explanation to petitioners. Both the initiative and referendum procedures would require the payment of $100 fees with the appropriate state official; however, the uncertainty about the number of such filings renders estimates of revenue to the state from these filings indeterminable. The Comptroller of Public Accounts would be required to perform an analysis of the fiscal implications of initiatives at the request of the Attorney General. Due to uncertainty regarding the number of such request, or their complexity, the cost to the Comptroller to perform these analyses cannot be determined. The probable fiscal implication of implementing the provisions of the bill during each of the first five years following passage is estimated as follows: Fiscal Probable Cost to Probable Cost to Change in Year the Secretary of the Attorney Number of State State Out of General Out of Employees from General Revenue General Revenue FY 1995 Fund 001 Fund 001 1996 $87,700 $1,039,527 13.0 1997 0 1,007,933 13.0 1998 89,328 1,007,933 13.0 1999 0 1,007,933 13.0 2000 89,328 1,007,933 13.0 Similar annual fiscal implications would continue as long as the provisions of the bill are in effect. The fiscal implication to units of local government cannot be determined. Source: Office of the Attorney General, Comptroller of Public Accounts, Secretary of State LBB Staff: JK, JC, DF