LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 81ST LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 15, 2009

TO:	Honorable Todd Smith, Chair, House Committee on Elections
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB157 by Chavez (Relating to the registration of voters at a polling place and related procedures.), As Introduced

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB157, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($1,111,476) through the biennium ending August 31, 2011.

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

General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:

Fiscal Year	Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2010	($1,111,476)
2011	$0
2012	($1,015,476)
2013	$0
2014	($1,015,476)

All Funds, Five-Year Impact:

Fiscal Year	Probable (Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
2010	($1,111,476)
2011	$0
2012	($1,015,476)
2013	$0
2014	($1,015,476)

Fiscal Analysis

The bill would allow eligible people to register to vote at polling places by submitting a voter registration application and presenting certain proof of identification.  People registering under this procedure would be processed separately from registered voters.  The bill would require the Secretary of State to prescribe procedures to implement this.  The bill would be effective September 1, 2009.

Methodology

It is assumed that an additional election clerk would need to be hired at each polling place for primary elections and primary runoff elections in order to separately process people registering to vote at a cost of $1,015,476 in even numbered years.  In addition, Secretary of State indicates that system modifications costing $96,000 would be needed in fiscal year 2010.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

307 Secretary of State

LBB Staff:

JOB, TP, MS, BTA