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
  
**************************************************************************
*  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