LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 78TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

February 25, 2003

TO:	Honorable Mary Denny, Chair, House Committee on Elections
FROM:	John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB307 by Denny (Relating to the availability of certain records pertaining to ballots to be voted by mail.), As Introduced

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. 

The bill amends Section 86.014(a) of the Election Code by deleting the 72 hour/48 hour rule of when a copy of an application for a ballot to be voted by mail may be obtained from the early voting clerk.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated. There would be minimal savings to county governments to implement the bill.  The elections administrator of Bexar County reported that the elections office would save approximately $1,000 per election in printing and copying costs.  If all primary, runoff, general, and other county, municipality, and special district elections were taken into consideration, Bexar County would save approximately $12,000 to $13,000 over a period of five years. The Tom Green County elections administrator estimated that implementing the bill would save Tom Green County several hundred dollars per election, and approximately $5,000 over a period of five years. Dallas, El Paso, Victoria, Guadalupe, and Fort Bend counties reported similar savings.

Source Agencies:	307 Secretary Of State
LBB Staff:	JK, GO, JF, KG, MS, CJ