LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 84TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 27, 2015

TO:
Honorable Gary Elkins, Chair, House Committee on Government Transparency & Operation
 
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB2164 by White, James (Relating to the applicability of certain unfunded mandates on political subdivisions.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend Chapter 320, Government Code, to establish an unfunded mandates interagency work group consisting of the State Auditor, director of the Legislative Budget Board, the Comptroller of Public Accounts, a Senator appointed by the Lieutenant Governor, a member of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and four elected local government officials appointed by the Governor. The Governor would be required to appoint a chair of the interagency work group. Members of the work group would not be compensated and would be permitted to use any person employed by the member's agency to complete the member's work on the interagency group. The bill would require the interagency work group to publish an advisory list of certain unfunded mandates. The bill would provide that a political subdivision is only required to comply with a mandate for which the legislature has provided reimbursement under Section 320.003(b) of the bill.

Based on information provided by the Legislative Budget Board, State Auditor's Office, and Comptroller of Public Accounts, it is assumed that duties and responsibilities associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be accomplished utilizing existing resources.



Local Government Impact

There could be significant savings to a political subdivision that would not be required to comply with an unfunded mandate on the list published under Section 320.003(a), but the amounts would vary depending on the number of mandates and the cost of mandates.


Source Agencies:
301 Office of the Governor, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 308 State Auditor's Office
LBB Staff:
UP, FR, SD, EK, LBe, MW, MS, LCO