LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 83RD LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

May 25, 2013

TO:	Honorable David Dewhurst, Lieutenant Governor, Senate Honorable Joe Straus, Speaker of the House, House of Representatives
FROM:	Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB773 by Farney (Relating to the recitation of the pledges of allegiance to and display of the United States and state flags at and the observation of a moment of silence at open-enrollment charter schools and other public schools.), Conference Committee Report

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would require the governing board of an open-enrollment charter school to adopt policies requiring students to recite the pledges to the United States and Texas flags, and provide for a moment of silence after reciting the pledges.
 
The bill would require each board of trustees of a school district and the governing board of an open-enrollment charter school to require the United States and Texas flags to be prominently displayed in each classroom in which students are assigned at the time of the pledge. A district or charter school could raise money and accept gifts, grants, and donations to purchase the required flags and would not be required to spend federal, state or local funds. This subsection would apply beginning with the 2016-2017 school year. 

Local Government Impact

There may be costs to comply with the flag requirements for some school districts and open-enrollment charter schools. School districts and charter schools could raise funds and accept gifts, donations, and grants to defray the cost of purchasing flags. The provisions related to the flags would not apply until the 2016-2017 school year. Once the flags were purchased, it is assumed that costs would be minimal to maintain the required flags in each classroom. 

Source Agencies:

701 Central Education Agency

LBB Staff:

UP, JBi, JSc