LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 81ST LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 9, 2009

TO:	Honorable Royce West, Chair, Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Relations
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB1687 by Hinojosa (Relating to the right of certain counties to maintain local control over wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment.), As Introduced

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would add Chapter 161 to the Local Government Code to authorize meet and confer for employees, except police officers who are covered under Chapter 174, in a county with a population of less than 1 million that has adopted a resolution or policy providing for a consultation system in which the county will meet or consult with an employee association representing employees if the association is supported by at least 30 percent of the employees eligible to participate.

The bill sets forth the procedures for establishing, and those for repealing, an agreement between a county and an employee association and specifies that a county may not be denied local control over wages, salaries, rates of pay, hours of work, other terms and conditions of employment, or other state-mandated personnel issues.

Local Government Impact

At a minimum, a county would incur costs associated with placing on an election ballot a proposal for authorizing meet and confer for the county employees and administrative costs during the establishment and bargaining processes. All other costs would depend on the agreement finalized between the county and the county employees association, although according to the Texas Association of Counties, the costs could be significant.

Source Agencies:

LBB Staff:

JOB, DB