LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE 75th Regular Session March 11, 1997 TO: Honorable Kenneth Armbrister, Chair IN RE: Senate Bill No. 993 Committee on State Affairs By: Cain Senate Austin, Texas FROM: John Keel, Director In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on SB993 ( Relating to the election of the office of precinct chair of a political party.) this office has detemined the following: Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by SB993-As Introduced Implementing the provisions of the bill would result in a net positive impact of $578,550 to General Revenue Related Funds through the biennium ending August 31, 1999. Fiscal Analysis The bill would provide that if there is only one candidate's name on the ballot for precinct chair, that candidate would be declared elected if otherwise qualified, and a notice to the voters would be posted at the polling place. If no candidate files for precinct chair, the party's executive committee would fill the vacancy in the regular manner, and the office of precinct chair would not go on the ballot. A candidate would have to file as write-in candidate in order to run for precinct chair, and the filing deadline and any extension would be the same as for regular candidates. Votes written in for a candidate other than a declared write-in candidate would not be counted. The Secretary of State would prescribe any procedures necessary to implement the provisions of this bill. Methodolgy The Secretary of State estimates that there is a $25.00 "plate charge" for printing the office of precinct chair for each of the 17,400 precincts in Texas. The Secretary of State also states that only five percent of the precincts in the state (870 precincts) currently have an opposed office of precinct chair on the ballot, and 16,530 precincts do not . The bill would result in a saving on the "plate charge" of $413,250 (16,530 x $25.00). In addition, the Secretary of State estimates that $10.00 per polling place would be saved for the reduced amount of time in counting the race for precinct chair in unopposed races, resulting in a savings of $165,300 (16,530 x $10.00). 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 Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 0001 1998 $578,550 1998 0 2000 578,550 2001 0 2002 578,550 Net Impact on General Revenue Related Funds: Fiscal Year Probable Net Postive/(Negative) General Revenue Related Funds Funds 1998 $578,550 1999 0 2000 578,550 2001 0 2002 578,550 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: 307 Secretary of State LBB Staff: JK ,JD ,PE ,JC