LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 82ND LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 11, 2011

TO:	Honorable Larry Taylor, Chair, House Committee on Elections
FROM:	John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB2191 by Elkins (relating to the language in which a ballot to be voted by mail is printed.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would require the Secretary of State to prescribe procedures for an officially prescribed application form for an early voting ballot so that the applicant may indicate the desired language for the ballot, and if the applicant does not indicate a language preference, the ballot would be provided in English.  The early voting clerk would be required to provide the applicant with a ballot in the language indicated if that language is required to be used for ballots in the election or in English if no language is indicated.  The bill would also repeal Section 272.006(b) of the Election Code relating to a separate translation authorized.  The bill would take effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds or on September 1, 2011.

Local Government Impact

Counties would face costs associated with printing new ballot applications and administrative burden due to processing ballot applications. Costs would vary depending on how the provisions of the bill were implemented and number of ballot applications received in a given county.

Source Agencies:

307 Secretary of State

LBB Staff:

JOB, JT, BTA, KKR