LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 82ND LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

May 4, 2011

TO:	Honorable Steve Ogden, Chair, Senate Committee on Finance
FROM:	John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB698 by Watson (Relating to the analysis of certain legislative measures making an appropriation or affecting a state tax or fee.), As Introduced

Depending upon the levels of funding in future biennia and the number of revenue bills filed, there could be an indeterminate increase in workload to prepare the required impact statements.

The bill would require the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) to produce an impact statement on any appropriations bill that would reduce general revenue appropriations in the succeeding fiscal biennium compared to the current biennium and revise the impact statement on each version of the bill.  The impact statement would include the estimated amount of the reduction, a description of the services and functions for which the appropriations may be used and how they are affected by the reduction, and identify any sources of funding that could be used or made available to supplement the reduced appropriations.

The bill would also require an impact statement on tax and fee bills.  The impact statement would include the amount of each estimated increase or reduction in state revenue and include a description of the services and functions that would be affected by an increase or reduction in revenue and the projected effect of the increased or reduced revenue on those services and functions.  The LBB would be required to revise the impact statement on each version of the bill.

The director of the LBB would be required to make these impact statements available to every member of the legislature.

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

LBB Staff:

KK, JOB, SD