LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                                   Austin, Texas
         
                                   FISCAL NOTE
                               75th Regular Session
         
                                  April 8, 1997
         
         
      TO: Honorable Rodney Ellis, Chair            IN RE:  Senate Joint Resolution
                                                                No. 25, Committee Report 1st House, as amended
          Committee on Jurisprudence                              By: Duncan/et al.
          Senate
          Austin, Texas
         
         
         
         
         FROM:  John Keel, Director    
         
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on SJR25 ( Proposing 
a constitutional amendment providing for gubernatorial appointments 
to fill vacancies in the offices of appellate justices and judges, 
for a partisan election followed by retention elections on a 
nonpartisan ballot for those justices and judges, and for the 
appointment of district judges in accordance with certain standards.) 
this office has detemined the following:
         
         Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by SJR25-Committee Report 1st House, as amended
         

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated, other than 
the cost of publication.
         
The cost to the state for publication of the resolution is $71,000.

This 
bill proposes an amendment to Article V of the Texas Constitution, 
which would require justices and judges on the Supreme Court, 
Court of Criminal Appeals and Courts of Appeals to stand for 
a partisan election for a full six-year term and then stand 
for a nonpartisan retention election for a full six-year term. 
 Vacancies in office would be filled by appointment of the Governor 
and confirmed by the Senate, for an initial term that would 
end January 1 of the first odd-numbered year that begins 18 
months after the appointment is filled.  The appointee would 
run for a full six-year term in a partisan election in the even-numbered 
year preceding the date that the initial term ends.
         
 
          
The fiscal impact on local government would be the normal cost 
of conducting local elections but no other fiscal implications 
to local governments are anticipated.
          
   Source:            Agencies:   307   Secretary of State
                                         
                      LBB Staff:   JK ,BB ,JC
 
          
The fiscal impact on local government would be the normal cost 
of conducting local elections but no other fiscal implications 
to local governments are anticipated.
          
   Source:            Agencies:   307   Secretary of State
                                         
                      LBB Staff:   JK ,BB ,JC