LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE
75th Regular Session
May 12, 1997
TO: Honorable Debra Danburg, Chair IN RE: House Bill No. 3332, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
Committee on Elections By: Gallego
House
Austin, Texas
FROM: John Keel, Director
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB3332 ( Relating
to regulating and reporting certain political contributions
and certain political expenditures and to regulating certain
political advertising, providing criminal penalties.) this office
has detemined the following:
Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB3332-Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
Implementing the provisions of the bill would result in a net
negative impact of $(223,262) to General Revenue Related Funds
through the biennium ending August 31, 1999.
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 the Elections Code to provide
restrictions on certain political contributions and expenditures
and to provide additional requirements relating to political
advertising.
Fiscal Analysis
The Ethics Commission would administer and enforce most of the
new provisions of the bill. Campaign finance rules would be
altered for statewide offices, other than judicial offices,
legislative offices, and members of the State Board of Education,
by requiring the designation of a principal campaign committee.
The bill would limit contributions from a child, require filing
of documents before certain direct campaign expenditures are
made, and establish the Fair Campaign Spending Fund, a special
account in the general revenue fund. It would also require
political consultants to register with the Ethics Commission
and to file semiannual reports. The Ethics Commission would
be required to revise filing guides and instructions, to prescribe
new forms, and to prescribe a voters guide if funds were available.
The Ethics Commission would adopt rules to implement the new
provisions.
Methodolgy
The Ethics Commission estimates that it would be required to
create new forms, adopt new rules, and process increased amounts
of advisory opinion requests and sworn complaints. The Commission
would also be required to publish a voters guide if money were
available in the special fund created by the bill called the
Fair Campaign Spending Fund. The Commission also estimates
that changes to its computer database would need to be programmed.
The
Ethics Commission estimates that in order to implement the provision
of this bill, it would need to hire one additional attorney,
one Administrative Technician III, and one Programmer I.
The probable fiscal implications of implementing the provisions
of the bill during each of the first five years following passage
is estimated as follows:
Five Year Impact:
Fiscal Year Probable Change in Number
Savings/(Cost) of State
from General Employees from
Revenue Fund FY 1997
0001
1998 ($121,741) 3.0
1998 (101,521) 3.0
2000 (101,521) 3.0
2001 (101,521) 3.0
2002 (101,521) 3.0
Net Impact on General Revenue Related Funds:
The probable fiscal implication to General Revenue related funds
during each of the first five years is estimated as follows:
Fiscal Year Probable Net Postive/(Negative)
General Revenue Related Funds
Funds
1998 ($121,741)
1999 (101,521)
2000 (101,521)
2001 (101,521)
2002 (101,521)
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: Agencies:
LBB Staff: JK ,PE ,JC