LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 81ST LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 18, 2009

TO:	Honorable Todd Smith, Chair, House Committee on Elections
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB208 by Jackson, Jim (Relating to the cancellation of the voter registration and to the eligibility to vote of persons who are deceased or not citizens of the United States.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would require local registrar of deaths to file abstracts with the voter registrar of the decedent’s county of resident and the Secretary of State (SOS).  The bill would require the registrar to cancel a voter’s registration immediately if the registrar receives notice from SOS that the voter is deceased.  SOS would be required to quarterly compare information to the statewide computerized voter registration list to determine if a voter is deceased or been excused or disqualified from jury service because the voter is not a citizen.  It is assumed that costs associated with this bill could be absorbed within existing agency resources.  The bill would be effective September 1, 2009.

Local Government Impact

Local registrars and probate court clerks could experience a slight increase in the cost of operations; however, those costs are not anticipated to be significant.

Source Agencies:

212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 307 Secretary of State

LBB Staff:

JOB, TP, BTA