LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 83RD LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 3, 2013

TO:
Honorable Dan Patrick, Chair, Senate Committee on Education
 
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
SB1505 by Schwertner (Relating to the frequency of the release of questions and answer keys to state assessment instruments administered in public schools.), As Introduced



Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB1505, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($2,100,000) through the biennium ending August 31, 2015.

The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.



Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2014 $0
2015 ($2,100,000)
2016 ($2,100,000)
2017 $0
2018 ($2,100,000)




Fiscal Year Probable Savings/(Cost) from
Foundation School Fund
193
2014 $0
2015 ($2,100,000)
2016 ($2,100,000)
2017 $0
2018 ($2,100,000)

Fiscal Analysis

The bill would require the release of questions and answer keys to each state assessment instrument annually instead of every three years.

Methodology

Requiring the annual release of questions and answer keys to each assessment instrument would require additional costs related to the development of new questions and answers. According to the Texas Education Agency, such development costs would equal $2.1 million per year. Currently, statute requires that the questions and answers be released every third year, and the questions and answers are scheduled to be released in fiscal year 2014 and again in fiscal year 2017. Therefore, any additional costs wouldn't occur until fiscal year 2015 and no additional costs would be incurred in fiscal year 2017.

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.


Source Agencies:
701 Central Education Agency
LBB Staff:
UP, JBi, JSc, AH