LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 78TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

March 26, 2003

TO:	Honorable Leticia Van de Putte, Chair, Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs & Military Installations
FROM:	John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB938 by Barrientos (Relating to enforcement of veteran's employment preferences.), As Introduced

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

This bill amends the Government Code to create a new Subchapter relating to the enforcement of veteran's employment preferences. 

Local Government Impact

Costs to district courts and district attorney's offices would depend on the number of compliance orders filed.  The Tarrant County District Clerk's Office reported that there might be a small increase in overall cases filed in district court, but the number could not be estimated. 

 

Harris County (population 3.5 million, annual budget of $970 million) reported that the primary fiscal issue in their county would be the cost of representing a complainant by the district attorney's office.  It is possible that the County Attorney’s Office could represent the county and the district attorney would represent the veteran, all in a Harris County District Court, resulting in a possible multiple cost to Harris County.  This cost could run into several tens of thousand dollars. Harris County also reported that no cases in which a veteran sought judicial relief for violation of the preference rule have ever been filed in the county, making the number of possible filings difficult to predict.

 

Smith County (population 174,706, annual budget of $64.7 million) reported that they anticipated the number of filings to increase as veterans became aware of the availability of "pro bono" representation.  The county estimated that in fiscal year 2004, costs to implement the bill would be approximately $40,000, with costs rising in subsequent fiscal years.

Source Agencies:	403 Veterans Commission
LBB Staff:	JK, WK, MS, JF, KG