LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              April 27, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Teel Bivins, Chair, Senate Committee on
               Education
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB623  by Hochberg (Relating to the selection,
               distribution, and use of public school textbooks;
               providing a criminal penalty.), As Engrossed
  
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*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.        *
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The bill modifies several chapters of the Education Code relating to
textbooks.  The bill specifies districts shall allow students to take
home any textbook used by the student and allows districts to requisition
textbooks for grades above that in which a student is enrolled.

The bill creates a Textbook Credit Pilot Program.  Under the program, a
participating district is entitled to a credit for textbooks purchased
below the maximum allowable price.  The credit may only be used for the
purchase of textbooks on the conforming or nonconforming lists.  It is
assumed that the credit must be used in the same year in which it is
generated, although the legislation is not specific in that regard.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) estimates that it would cost $200,000 to
modify the current electronic textbook ordering and tracking system,
EMAT.  In addition, the agency estimates that one full-time equivalent
position requiring approximately $60,000 in salary and support costs
would be necessary to implement the pilot.  This fiscal note assumes
that the pilot project could be implemented without modifying the EMAT
system, but would probably require additional staff resources of less
than $100,000 per year.
  
Local Government Impact
  
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is
anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   701   Texas Education Agency
LBB Staff:         JK, CT, UP