LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
April 25, 1999
TO: Honorable Senfronia Thompson, Chair, House Committee on
Judicial Affairs
FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: HB59 by Cuellar (Relating to creating a voter
information pamphlet for judicial
elections.), As Introduced
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* Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for *
* HB59, As Introduced: negative impact of $(61,677,000) through the *
* biennium ending August 31, 2001. *
* *
* The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal *
* basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of *
* the bill. *
**************************************************************************
General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:
****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) *
* Impact to General Revenue Related *
* Funds *
* 2000 $(30,838,500) *
* 2001 (30,838,500) *
* 2002 (30,838,500) *
* 2003 (30,838,500) *
* 2004 (30,838,500) *
****************************************************
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
*****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Savings/(Cost) from *
* General Revenue Fund *
* 0001 *
* 2000 $(30,838,500) *
* 2001 (30,838,500) *
* 2002 (30,838,500) *
* 2003 (30,838,500) *
* 2004 (30,838,500) *
*****************************************************
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would require the Secretary of State to prepare a pamphlet on
the candidates for judicial elections. Candidates would, if they
choose, provide information to the Secretary of State for inclusion in
the pamphlet. The agency would be required to review the statements
provided, prepare and print the pamphlets and mail a copy to each
household of a registered voter in the state prior to the date of each
judicial election. The bill would require the agency to prepare
separate versions of the pamphlets to include information only on the
candidates for offices for which the voters who receive the pamphlet are
eligible to vote, to the extent practicable. The agency would prescribe
the format and length of the candidates' submissions.
Methodology
The Secretary of State estimates the cost of publishing and mailing the
voters guide would be $4.50 each. The agency estimates a voters guide
would be mailed to 6,853,000 households in which a registered voter
resides at a cost of $30,838,500 for each election. The agency doubles
this number per year to reflect the cost of the mailing for the primary
election in March and the general election in November. Primary
elections and general elections occur in alternating fiscal years. The
agency assumes there would be judicial candidates on the ballot of each
primary and each general election, therefore, based upon the agency's
assumption, the cost would occur in each fiscal year.
Local Government Impact
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies: 307 Secretary Of State
LBB Staff: JK, PE, SG