LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE
75th Regular Session
January 31, 1997
TO: Honorable Kenneth Armbrister, Chair IN RE: Senate Bill No. 73
Committee on State Affairs By: Haywood
Senate
Austin, Texas
FROM: John Keel, Director
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on SB73 ( Relating to
financial statements filed by judges of statutory county courts and statutory
probate courts.) this office has detemined the following:
Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by SB73-As Introduced
Implementing the provisions of the bill would result in a net negative
impact of $30,464 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.
Fiscal Analysis
This bill gives judges of statutory county courts and statutory probate courts,
as well as candidates for these offices, a choice between filing their personal
financial statements with the Ethics Commission or with the county clerk.
Current law requires them to file with the county clerk. The bill would also
provide that, upon written request of a county judicial officer or candidate,
the county clerk or the Ethics Commission would remove the names of the
officer's or candidate's dependent children from the financial statement before
the statement is made available to a member of the public. This bill would be
effective September 1, 1997.
Methodolgy
The Ethics Commission would incur costs associated with an additional part-time
Administrative Technician III to implement the provisions of the bill and one-time
capital outlay for equipment to store the original statements separate from
statements with the names of dependent children removed.
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 Cost to Change in Number
General Revenue of State
Fund Employees from
FY 1997
0001
1998 ($15,732) 0.5
1998 (14,732) 0.5
2000 (14,732) 0.5
2001 (14,732) 0.5
2002 (14,732) 0.5
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 ($15,732)
1999 (14,732)
2000 (14,732)
2001 (14,732)
2002 (14,732)
Similar annual fiscal implications would continue as long as the provisions of
the bill are in effect.
The bill would require the county clerk, upon written request from
the officeholder or candidate, to remove the name of dependent children
from the financial statement before the statement is made available to a
member of the public. No significant fiscal implications to local governments are anticipated.
Source: Agencies: 356 Ethics Commission
LBB Staff: JK ,JD ,JC