LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 80TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
Revision 1
 
April 11, 2007

TO:
Honorable David Swinford, Chair, House Committee on State Affairs
 
FROM:
John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HJR19 by Branch (Proposing a constitutional amendment to require each house of the legislature to take a record vote on final passage of a bill and to publish the record vote on the Internet.), As Introduced



Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HJR19, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($125,213) through the biennium ending August 31, 2009.

The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.



Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2008 ($77,468)
2009 ($47,745)
2010 $0
2011 ($47,745)
2012 $0




Fiscal Year Probable Savings/(Cost) from
GENERAL REVENUE FUND
1
2008 ($77,468)
2009 ($47,745)
2010 $0
2011 ($47,745)
2012 $0

Fiscal Analysis

The joint resolution requires a record vote in both houses of the legislature on final passage of any bill including concurrance of the other house's amendments and adoption of conference committee reports. The votes shall be recorded in the journals of the appropriate house and published on the Internet. Each house by rule can exempt certain local bills from the requirement.


Methodology

Information was obtained from the House on the number of non-record votes taken on final passage during the 79th Legislature, Regular Session. The number of non-record votes was multiplied by the estimated cost of each record vote ($55.00) to estimate the cost to the state. The Senate estimates that recording every members vote in the journal would require an additional 1/4 of a journal volume to be printed at a cost of approximately $6,000.

The cost to the state for publication of the resolution is $77,468.


Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.


Source Agencies:
LBB Staff:
JOB, KJG, SD