LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                                   Austin, Texas
         
                                   FISCAL NOTE
                               75th Regular Session
         
                                  April 10, 1997
         
         
      TO: Honorable Ron E. Lewis, Chair            IN RE:  House Bill No. 1877, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
          Committee on County Affairs                              By: Chisum
          House
          Austin, Texas
         
         
         
         
         FROM:  John Keel, Director    
         
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB1877 ( Relating 
to creation of an Electronic Recording Task force and to certain 
electronic recording.) this office has detemined the following:
         
         Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB1877-Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
         
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. 
 
         

         
 
          
The bill would create an Electronic Recording Advisory Committee. 
 The committee would be authorized, but not required, to make 
recommendations to the State Library and Archives Commission 
regarding the adoption of rules relating to the recording of 
certain instruments,documents, or records by electronic means. 
 The advisory committee would also be authorized to make recommendations 
concerning the need for any statutory changes relating to electronic 
recording of such documents.  If the committee makes recommendations, 
the State Library and Archives Commission may adopt electronic 
recording rules, and county clerks may accept certain documents 
for electronic recording  in accordance with the rules.

The 
bill would also amend the Government Code to require that electronic 
filing rules be approved by the local government records committee. 
 The bill would take effect immediately.  Provisions relating 
to the advisory committee and any rules adopted under those 
provisions would expire on January 1, 2000.

While it is anticipated 
that the State Library and Archives Commission would incur some 
costs associated with providing staff and other support to assist 
the advisory committee, it is expected that these costs would 
be minimal compared to the agency's overall budget and would 
not result in significant fiscal implications to the state. 
 No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated 
because the bill does not require county clerks to adhere to 
electronic rules adopted by the commission. It is expected that 
those local governments that choose to follow the rules would 
already possess the computer hardware needed to permit recording 
by electronic means and could do so at no added cost.  In addition, 
because the bill requires that the original document or a  paper 
copy of the document  also be provided or generated for any 
electronic filing, no cost savings for local governments is 
anticipated.  
          
   Source:            Agencies:   
                                         
                      LBB Staff:   JK ,TL ,JA