LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 81ST LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 22, 2009

TO:	Honorable Todd Smith, Chair, House Committee on Elections
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB2209 by Pena (Relating to a voter educator program for high school seniors.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would require the Secretary of State (SOS) in consultation with the Commissioner of Education to develop a nonpartisan voter education program to be presented to high school seniors by county clerks, county elections administrators, or their designees.  SOS indicated that they already have curriculum developed that meets the majority of the items required by this bill.  It is assumed that both the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and SOS could absorb additional costs associated with this bill within existing agency resources.  The bill would be effective if two-thirds vote are received or September 1, 2009. 

Local Government Impact

The bill would permit a school district participating in the nonpartisan voter education program to request a voter education presentation for high school seniors on an annual basis that would be presented by a county clerk or an elections administrator. The program would be presented upon the request of a school administrator, but school districts would not be required to implement the program. The costs to counties would vary depending on whether or not a school district chose to participate in the program; however, those costs are not anticipated to be significant.

Source Agencies:

307 Secretary of State, 701 Central Education Agency

LBB Staff:

JOB, TP, MS, BTA