LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
February 9, 2001
TO: Honorable Florence Shapiro, Chair, Senate Committee on
State Affairs
FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: SB6 by Shapiro (Relating to the fair conduct of
elections and election campaigns; providing penalties.),
As Introduced
**************************************************************************
* Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for *
* SB6, As Introduced: negative impact of $(195,313) 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 $(195,313) *
* 2003 0 *
* 2004 0 *
* 2005 0 *
* 2006 0 *
****************************************************
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
*****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Savings/(Cost) from *
* General Revenue Fund *
* 0001 *
* 2002 $(195,313) *
* 2003 0 *
* 2004 0 *
* 2005 0 *
* 2006 0 *
*****************************************************
Technology Impact
The bill would require programming modifications to all parts of the
software and the Texas Ethics Commission's database. All filers who
file electronically will have some changes in reporting requirements
that require modifications in the electronic filing software. The costs
of the new programming would be $78,575.
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would require additional information for certain contributors
which would require the Ethics Commission to revise all campaign finance
filing guides and instructions, prescribe new forms, change existing
forms, make modifications to the existing electronic filing software and
provide the new software to Ethics Commission filers, as well as
providing notice to candidates, officeholders, political committees, and
local filing authorities.
Methodology
Based on the Texas Ethics Commission's experience in implementing the
electronic filing system, the agency has estimated it would take 785.75
hours at $100 per hour to make the required programming changes. This
estimate is based on the current Texas Ethics Commission's maintenance
cost for the electronic filing system and its experience in implementing
the current electronic filing system, which took more than one year.
Additionally, the Texas Ethics Commission is estimating administrative
costs of $116,738 for postage, envelopes, paper, and software
reproduction.
Local Government Impact
The bill would require phasing out the use of punchcard ballots and lever
voting systems by September 1, 2005. There are 14 counties in Texas
that use a punchcard ballot and three that use lever voting systems. The
estimated cost for replacing the punchcard systems and lever voting
systems in all 17 counties with the most current technology that is
certified as meeting all state guidelines is estimated to be $27,440,000.
The number of precincts in need of new voting systems is 1,960. The
Secretary of State estimates an average of four machine per precinct
would be needed, for a total of 7,840 machine at a cost of $3,500 per
machine.
Source Agencies: 307 Secretary of State, 356 Texas Ethics
Commission
LBB Staff: JK, RB, SK, DB