LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 81ST LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

March 30, 2009

TO:	Honorable Burt R. Solomons, Chair, House Committee on State Affairs
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB2097 by Hodge (Relating to the personal and official use of state vehicles.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend Government Code to not allow an officer or employee of a state agency, who is authorized to use a state motor vehicle, to use either state money to purchase fuel or state owned fuel to operate the vehicle. The officer or employee may submit a reimbursement request for fuel costs associated with conducting official state business.

The bill requires mileage reports to include detailed point-by-point accounting of the mileage between stops and the purpose for each stop, and allows vehicles used for undercover or security purposes to use a code based accounting system.

Some of the assigned agencies reported that the bill would increase agency fuel costs due to not being able to utilize bulk gas purchases or federal gas tax exemptions associated with using the Comdata card. In addition, agencies would realize indirect costs for drivers to take several minutes each day to fill out the required mileage paperwork. Some agencies also reported that 1 or 2 FTEs would be required to process the additional travel vouchers and paperwork.

It is anticipated that the Department of Public Safety (DPS) would incur costs associated with the bill related to accounting fees for travel; however it is assumed that such costs could be reasonably absorbed within the existing resources of DPS.

It is assumed these costs increases would not have a significant fiscal implication to the State.

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

303 Facilities Commission, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 305 General Land Office and Veterans' Land Board, 405 Department of Public Safety, 458 Alcoholic Beverage Commission, 476 Racing Commission, 529 Health and Human Services Commission, 551 Department of Agriculture, 554 Animal Health Commission, 582 Commission on Environmental Quality, 601 Department of Transportation, 694 Youth Commission, 696 Department of Criminal Justice, 802 Parks and Wildlife Department, 809 Preservation Board

LBB Staff:

JOB, KJG, SD, PJK