LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 80TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

May 8, 2007

TO:	Honorable Tom Craddick, Speaker of the House, House of Representatives
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB1260 by Martinez, "Mando" (Relating to exempting certain military personnel from certain state and local governmental fees.), As Passed 2nd House

The probable impact of the bill cannot be determined due to the unavailability of information related to the number of military personnel who will be deployed and who would be exempt from paying certain state and local fees incurred as the result of arranging personal affairs in preparing to be deployed to a hostile fire zone.

The bill would amend the Government Code by exempting certain active duty military personnel from paying certain state and local fees incurred as the result of arranging personal affairs in preparing to be deployed to a hostile fire zone. The bill includes exempting from fees for obtaining copies of birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, child support orders, guardianship documents, property tax records, and transferring property titles. The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) states that the fee for a birth certificate is $22 and the fee for marriage verification is $20. The cost to the state and local governments would depend on the number of military personnel being deployed to a hostile fire zone. According to the Adjutant General’s Department and the Comptroller of Public Accounts, the number of military personnel being deployed cannot be determined.

 

The Adjutant General’s Department has determined that the cost of implementing the bill would not be significant.

Local Government Impact

According to the Department of State Health Services, most of the exempt records would be issued through the local registrar’s office and by county clerks. The fiscal impact to local government for the loss of revenues for the exempted fees cannot be estimated because the number of military personnel being deployed is unknown. 

Source Agencies:

304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 401 Adjutant General's Department, 537 State Health Services, Department of

LBB Staff:

JOB, ES, GG, SDO