LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 78TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

February 12, 2003

TO:	Honorable Glenn Lewis, Chair, House Committee on County Affairs
FROM:	John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB554 by Chisum (Relating to grievance procedures regarding compensation and expenses for county and precinct officers.), As Introduced

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend Section 152, Local Government Code, to adjust grievance procedures regarding compensation and expenses for county and precinct officers. The bill would also require that before a county or precinct officer could file a lawsuit regarding the officer's salary, office and travel expenses, or other allowances, that the officer must follow the grievance procedures. The bill would take effect September 1, 2003 and would apply only to hearings that begin on or after that date and to civil actions filed on or after the effective date.

Local Government Impact

Under current statute, a county or precinct officer who is aggrieved by the setting of their salary or personal expenses may request a hearing before the salary grievance committee, and a vote by six or more committee members to increase the salary or personal expenses results in a written recommendation to the commissioners court. The proposed change would specify which expenses as opposed to using the broader reference of "personal expenses" and would require the committee to recommend to submit its vote to the commissioners court in writing, regardless of the outcome of the vote or the number of committee members voting. Current statute does not specify that an elected county or precinct officer must first follow the grievance procedures before filing a lawsuit regarding salary and expenses.

The proposed adjustments to the grievance hearing procedures would be administrative and have little or no fiscal impact. Requiring aggrieved elected officers to go through the grievance process prior to filing a lawsuit against the county could result in a savings for the affected county by reducing the number of lawsuits in which the county would be a defendant.

Source Agencies:
LBB Staff:	JK, DLBa