LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              March 30, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Florence Shapiro, Chair, Senate Committee on
               State Affairs
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB1023  by Brown, J. E. "Buster" (Relating to
               compensation for services rendered at a polling place by
               election officers.), As Introduced
  
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*  No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.                    *
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The bill would change the wage paid to election judges and clerks for
services performed at precinct polling places.  The current fixed maximum
wage of $6 per hour would be eliminated.  The hourly rate paid could not
exceed the amount fixed by the appropriate authority, which would have
to be at least the federal minimum hourly wage (currently $5.15 per
hour).

The Secretary of State reported they currently pay an amount equal to
$5.15 per hour to the local governments for the services of election
judges and clerks for primary elections.  The bill would make no changes
to alter this, so the Secretary of State has indicated there should be
no fiscal impact to the state.
  
Local Government Impact
  
There would be an increase in costs to those counties that currently pay
$6.00 an hour if they were to choose to increase the amount paid to
election judges or clerks.  There would also be a cost increase for any
counties that do not already pay election judges and clerks the federal
minimum wage, as they would be required to bring the pay to that level.
  
  
Source Agencies:   307   Secretary of State, 304   Comptroller of Public
                   Accounts
LBB Staff:         JK, RB, DB