LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
April 23, 1999
TO: Honorable Bob Turner, Chair, House Committee on Public
Safety
FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: HB1296 by Hupp (Relating to disclosure and sale of
certain information held by the Texas Department of
Public Safety and the Texas Department of
Transportation.), Committee Report 1st House,
Substituted
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* Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for *
* HB1296, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: negative impact *
* of $(453,304) 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 $(226,652) *
* 2001 (226,652) *
* 2002 (226,652) *
* 2003 (226,652) *
* 2004 (226,652) *
****************************************************
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
*****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Revenue Gain/(Loss) from *
* General Revenue Fund *
* 0001 *
* 2000 $(226,652) *
* 2001 (226,652) *
* 2002 (226,652) *
* 2003 (226,652) *
* 2004 (226,652) *
*****************************************************
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would amend Chapter 730 of the Transportation Code by omitting
Section 730.008 relating to the disclosure of individual records. The
Department would be responsible for collecting an additional $5.00 fee
any time personal information was released for the purposes of (1) use
in the normal course of business; (2) use in research or statistical
reports; (3) use by an insurer or insurance organization; (4) use in the
operation of a private toll transportation and (5) use for bulk
distribution. The bill would prohibit the resale or disclosure of
personal information obtained by an agency in connection with a motor
vehicle record.
Methodology
Currently, the Department collects $226,652 annually from firms that
purchase driver's license files primarily to obtain personal information
to be used for mass distribution purposes. Each file contains
approximately 14 million records. If a firm could only obtain the
personal information in the files at a cost of $1,600 (current rate for
the files) plus an additional $5 for each of the 14 million records, it
is expected that firms would not likely continue to purchase the files.
Hence, based on the number of firms that have historically purchased the
files and the current rate for the files, it is estimated that the bill
would result in a $226,652 loss of revenues, annually.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is
anticipated.
Source Agencies: 405 Department of Public Safety, 601 Department
of Transportation
LBB Staff: JK, MD