LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                                   Austin, Texas
         
                                   FISCAL NOTE
                               75th Regular Session
         
                                  March 17, 1997
         
         
      TO: Honorable Ron E. Lewis, Chair            IN RE:  House Bill No. 1877
          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-As Introduced
         
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal 
basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions 
of the bill.

No significant fiscal implication to the State 
is anticipated.
         
The bill would create an Electronic Recording Task Force which 
may make recommendations to the State Library and Archives Commission 
for electronic recording rules regarding the filing and recording 
of instruments in the public records of county and district 
clerks.  The task force may also make recommendations for the 
adoption of laws related to electronic filing of instruments 
in the public records. The State Library and Archives Commission 
may adopt the electronic recording rules, and county and district 
clerks may accept instruments filed electronically in accordance 
with the rules.  The bill would take effect immediately and 
its 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 in the development of task force recommendations, 
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.

The bill would make no 
appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation 
of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.
         
 
          
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated 
because the bill does not require county and district clerks 
to adhere to electronic filing and recording rules adopted by 
the commission.  It is expected that those local governments 
which chose to follow the filing rules would already possess 
the computer hardware needed to permit filing and recording 
by electronic means and could do so at no added cost. In addition, 
because the bill requires that paper copies must also be provided 
for any instruments filed and recorded electronically, no cost 
savings for local governments is anticipated.
          
   Source:            Agencies:   306   Library and Archives Commission
                                         
                      LBB Staff:   JK ,TL ,JA