LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              April 3, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Debra Danburg, Chair, House Committee on
               Elections
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB2903  by Burnam (Relating to compensation for the
               training of and for services rendered at a polling place
               by certain election officers.), As Introduced
  
**************************************************************************
*  Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for    *
*  HB2903, As Introduced:  negative impact of $(2,151,208) through       *
*  the biennium ending August 31, 2003.                                  *
*                                                                        *
*  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                *
          *       2002                         $(2,151,208)  *
          *       2003                                    0  *
          *       2004                          (2,151,208)  *
          *       2005                                    0  *
          *       2006                          (2,151,208)  *
          ****************************************************
  
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
  
         *****************************************************
         * Fiscal Year      Probable Savings/(Cost) from      *
         *                      General Revenue Fund          *
         *                              0001                  *
         *      2002                             $(2,151,208) *
         *      2003                                        0 *
         *      2004                              (2,151,208) *
         *      2005                                        0 *
         *      2006                              (2,151,208) *
         *****************************************************
  
Technology Impact
  
None
  
  
Fiscal Analysis
  
The bill would amend Sections 32.091 and 173.005 of the Election Code to
require that the minimum compensation for judges and clerks (which
includes primary election workers) who attend election training programs
to be paid at a rate not to exceed $7.
  
  
Methodology
  
According to the Secretary of State's Office, assuming that all primary
poll workers attend election training programs, the difference of $7.00
minus $5.15 (amount currently paid to primary election poll workers)
equals $1.85. The number of Election Day primary workers is 77,521.  The
number of hours worked by each primary worker is 15 (represents 14
Election Day hours plus 1 hour for attending training). ($1.85 X 77,521
X 15=$2,151,207.70)
  
  
Local Government Impact
  
The Texas Association of Election Administrators and the counties of
Bexar, Ector, Midland and Victoria were contacted regarding the local
fiscal impact of the provisions of the bill.  It is anticipated that the
counties' election costs would increase from 10 percent to 26 percent
for each election, depending on the size of the county and the county's
current pay scale.
  
  
Source Agencies:   307   Secretary of State, 304   Comptroller of Public
                   Accounts
LBB Staff:         JK, TB, SK