LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 78TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 15, 2003

TO:
Honorable Mary Denny, Chair, House Committee on Elections
 
FROM:
John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB310 by Villarreal (Relating to the financing of campaigns for certain local government offices; providing criminal penalties.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.


The bill would amend the Election Code by setting contribution limits for candidates seeking a local political office in Bexar County or political subdivisions within Bexar County; placing requirements on those political candidates, fundraising, matching contributions, and registration of local lobbyists; and requiring local filing authorities to send a copy of policital reports to the Texas Ethics Commission and the commission would in turn be required to publish those reports on its website. The bill would take effect September 1, 2003 and apply only to reporting of a political contribution accepted on or after that date.

The Bexar County elections office reported to the Texas Ethics Commission that approximately 250 offices could have candidates that would meet the contribution requirements set out in the provisions of the bill. Assuming that there would be at least one candidate per office meeting the contribution requirements and that each candidate would be required to file six reports per election cycle, an additional 1,500 reports would be generated that would require processing by the Ethics Commission annually.

The commission estimates that it would have to add an Administrative Technician-I position to its staff, with an annual salary and benefits of $26,530 from the General Revenue Fund, to handle the additional reports.


Local Government Impact

Because the bill would not have statewide impact on units of local government of the same type or class, no comment from this office is required by the rules of the House/Senate as to its probable fiscal implication on units of local government.



Source Agencies:
304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 307 Secretary of State, 356 Texas Ethics Commission
LBB Staff:
JK, GO, DLBa, JM