Honorable Gary Elkins, Chair, House Committee on Government Transparency & Operation
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB139 by Stickland (Relating to the posting of certain notices for political subdivisions on the comptroller's Internet website.), As Introduced
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB139, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($1,020,000) through the biennium ending August 31, 2017.
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
2016
($710,000)
2017
($310,000)
2018
($310,000)
2019
($310,000)
2020
($310,000)
Fiscal Year
Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2015
2016
($710,000)
4.0
2017
($310,000)
4.0
2018
($310,000)
4.0
2019
($310,000)
4.0
2020
($310,000)
4.0
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would add Subchapter E to Chapter 2051 of the Government Code to require a political subdivision to provide an electronic copy of each notice required by law to be published in a newspaper to the Comptroller and would establish requirements regarding the notice in a newspaper. The bill would require the Comptroller to establish and maintain a web page on the Comptroller's internet website to post notices and to determine the format of the notices. The Comptroller would be required to post a notice not later than the third day after the political subdivision provides the notice to the Comptroller. The Comptroller would be required to establish a system to allow a person to receive an e-mail alert for an update to a category of notices on the web page and to maintain an archive of posted notices. Election notices would be exempt from application of the bill.
The provision of the bill regarding the adoption of rules by the Comptroller would take effect September 1, 2015. Remaining provisions of the bill would take effect September 1, 2016.
Methodology
The Comptroller's analysis reflects costs of $710,000 in fiscal year 2016 and $310,000 in each subsequent fiscal year, including 4.0 full-time equivalents (FTEs), to establish and maintain a web page on the Comptroller's internet website to post notices from political subdivisions. Annual costs reflect 3.0 FTEs (Program Specialists IV) whose primary responsibilities would include reviewing an estimated 16,000 notifications in each fiscal year to ensure postings are appropriate and exclude confidential or personally identifiable information and an additional 1.0 FTE (Information Specialist III) to maintain the web page and manage email notifications. In addition, fiscal year 2016 reflects a one-time technology cost of $400,000.
Technology
The Comptroller indicates a one-time technology cost of $400,000 in fiscal year 2016 for application programming and development. Costs assume a total of 3,200 hours for development of applications. The Comptroller's analysis also indicated that the infrastructure for the housing and public access retrieval may require additional resources which cannot be estimated at this time pending ruling on data retention requirements.
Local Government Impact
There could be costs to a political subdivision that would be required to provide an electronic copy of all notices to CPA and post the CPA's Internet website address in a newspaper for four consecutive weeks. However, no significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.