LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 83RD LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 5, 2013

TO:
Honorable René Oliveira, Chair, House Committee on Business & Industry
 
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB741 by Walle (Relating to the right of a public employee to express breast milk in the workplace.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend the Government Code by adding Chapter 619, which would permit the right of a public employee to express breast milk. It requires the employer to develop a policy on expressing breast milk and prohibits discrimination based on an employee exercising the right to express milk.

A sample of agencies including the Office of the Attorney General, the Texas Facilities Commission, the Department of Aging and Disability Services, the Department of State Health Services, the Texas Education Agency, the Office of Court Administration, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the Department of Public Safety, the Texas Water Development Board, the Texas Department of Transportation and the Texas Workforce Commission indicate that any costs associated with the bill could be absorbed within existing resources.

Local Government Impact

According to the Texas Association of Counties (TAC), many counties have already implemented measures consistent with the provisions of the bill. Dallas County, for example, reported no anticipated fiscal impact for this reason. However, TAC reported that the impact to counties which do not currently have policies for nursing mothers may see a significant fiscal impact from the bill.

Bexar County reported that it would need to adopt new policies to comply with the bill, and estimated one-time total costs at $448,000. This would not represent a significant cost to Bexar County.

The Texas Municipal League (TML) reported that costs to municipalities, if any, would not be significant.



Source Agencies:
302 Office of the Attorney General, 303 Facilities Commission, 320 Texas Workforce Commission, 405 Department of Public Safety, 537 State Health Services, Department of, 539 Aging and Disability Services, Department of, 580 Water Development Board, 601 Department of Transportation, 696 Department of Criminal Justice, 701 Central Education Agency
LBB Staff:
UP, JJO, RB, JI, JN, LL, TB, AH, KKR