LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 83RD LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

March 11, 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 breast-feed, or to express breast milk for, the employee's child in the workplace.), As Introduced

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 breast feed or express breast milk for an employee's child at work. It requires the employer to develop a breast feeding policy and prohibits discrimination based on an employee exercising the right to breast feed.

A sample of agencies including the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), the Texas Facilities Commission (TFC), the Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS), the Department of State Health Services (DSHS), the Texas Education Agency (TEA), the Office of Court Administration (OCA), the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), the Texas Water Development Board (TDWB) and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) indicate no significant fiscal impact and that any costs associated with the bill could be absorbed within the agency's existing resources. While the Department of Public Safety (DPS) estimates there would be costs associated with implementing the provisions of the bill, it is assumed that any costs could be absorbed within current resources.

Local Government Impact

According to 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 don't currently have policies for nursing mothers may see a significant fiscal impact from the bill.

According to Texas Municipal League, the cities of Austin and Arlington reported no significant fiscal impact associated with the bill. The City of Houston reported one-time costs of $4,040,000 to comply with the bill with no annual costs thereafter.

Source Agencies:

302 Office of the Attorney General, 303 Facilities 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, RB, JI, JJO, JN, LL, TB, AH, KKR