LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 82ND LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
May 10, 2011

TO:
Honorable Robert Duncan, Chair, Senate Committee on State Affairs
 
FROM:
John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB2477 by Harless (Relating to the provision of bilingual election materials.), As Engrossed



Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB2477, As Engrossed: a negative impact of ($157,741) through the biennium ending August 31, 2013.

The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.



Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2012 ($132,741)
2013 ($25,000)
2014 $0
2015 ($25,000)
2016 $0




Fiscal Year Probable Savings/(Cost) from
General Revenue Fund
1
2012 ($132,741)
2013 ($25,000)
2014 $0
2015 ($25,000)
2016 $0

Fiscal Analysis

The bill would require political subdivisions to provide certain election materials in each language the census director determines under 42 United States Code 1973aa-1a and the Secretary of State (SOS) would be required to prepare translations for the election materials in each of those languages. SOS would also be allowed to adopt rules to implement this legislation. The bill would take effect on September 1, 2011.


Methodology

It is assumed that the 2010 census will result in the need for Vietnamese and Chinese translations of election materials at a cost of $132,741 in fiscal year 2012 for translating all applicable election materials and $25,000 in each odd numbered year to translate the changes in those election materials. It is anticipated that any additional costs associated with implementation of the legislation could be absorbed within existing resources. 


Local Government Impact

The bill would require some counties to print election materals in a language other than English and Spanish. Costs would vary depending on whether a particular county would be required to provide new election materials in the language other than English and Spanish and the number of speakers of said language in a given locality; however, costs are not anticipated to be significant. 


Source Agencies:
307 Secretary of State
LBB Staff:
JOB, KJG, JT, BTA, KKR