LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 83RD LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

March 28, 2013

TO:	Honorable Geanie Morrison, Chair, House Committee on Elections
FROM:	Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB179 by Márquez (Relating to the recall of members of school district boards of trustees.), As Introduced

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would require a school district board of trustees to order a recall election for one of its members if the board was presented with a petition for a recall election for that member signed by a number of registered voters residing in the school district equal to or greater than 10 percent of the number of votes cast in the most recent general election for trustees in the school district.

Within 30 days after certification of a valid petition, the board would be required to order that a recall election be held on the first Saturday after the 62nd day the election was ordered. If the majority of votes in a recall election were for the recall of the trustee, then the trustee's office would become vacant, and the board could appoint a new trustee until the next trustee election or hold a special election. 

The bill would take effect January 1, 2014, contingent on the approval by voters of a constitutional amendment authorizing elections for the recall of board trustees.

Local Government Impact

Administrative costs to order and conduct recall elections would vary depending on the number of recall elections required by valid petitions. Each petition could address only one trustee, so multiple petitions could be submitted, causing the ordering of multiple elections. Special elections could also add to local administrative costs if the board chose to conduct special elections instead of appointing members for vacancies.

Source Agencies:

701 Central Education Agency

LBB Staff:

UP, KJo, JSc, JBi