LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 78TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

March 25, 2003

TO:	Honorable Bill Ratliff, Chair, Senate Committee on State Affairs
FROM:	John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB750 by Madla (Relating to the requirement that governmental public notices be published in Spanish-language newspapers.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

This bill would require a state agency or a political subdivision of the state to publish any notice required under Chapter 4, Election Code, Chapter 551, Government Code, or any other law, to publish the notice in certain Spanish-language newspapers. 

This bill would take effect September 1, 2003.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated. The town of Van Horn and El Paso and Uvalde counties reported that although they have the prescribed percentage of Hispanic population, there is no Spanish-language newspaper in their county.  Publishing costs to other local governmental entities are not expected to be significant.

Source Agencies:	302 Office of the Attorney General, 307 Secretary of State, 356 Texas Ethics Commission, 601 Department of Transportation
LBB Staff:	JK, RR, BL, MS, JM, KG