Texas 2009 81st Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB474 Introduced / Fiscal Note

Filed 02/01/2025

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                    LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD    Austin, Texas      FISCAL NOTE, 81ST LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION            April 15, 2009      TO: Honorable Steve Ogden, Chair, Senate Committee on Finance      FROM: John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board     IN RE:SB474 by Estes (Relating to the comptroller's electronic funds transfer system and the use of electronic paycards.), As Introduced    No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.  The bill would implement the recommendation in the report, "Eliminate Warrants by Using Direct Deposit or Electronic Pay Cards for State Payments" in the Legislative Budget Board's Government Effectiveness and Efficiency Report submitted to the Eighty-first Texas Legislature, 2009.  The bill would amend the Government Code to allow the comptroller to issue salary, travel expense reimbursements, and annuitant payments on electronic paycards as an alternative to electronic funds transfers. As a result, the comptroller reports that state warrants for these payment types would, in almost all cases, no longer be produced.  The bill would repeal Section 403.016(h) of the Code, which provides criteria for persons or other state agencies to request payments be made with a state warrant. This bill would require the comptroller to contract, by competitive bid, with one or more qualified vendors of electronic paycard services. This bill would take effect January 1, 2010.  The comptroller was unable to quantify the administrative savings related to a reduction in the number of warrants issued. However, it is expected that comptroller staff whose sole responsibility is the processing of warrants would be eliminated or reduced, resulting in savings. The extent of the savings cannot be determined until the terms of a contract with a vendor are established and full implementation is achieved. Local Government Impact No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.    Source Agencies:304 Comptroller of Public Accounts   LBB Staff:  JOB, YD, MN, JI    

LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 81ST LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
April 15, 2009





  TO: Honorable Steve Ogden, Chair, Senate Committee on Finance      FROM: John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board     IN RE:SB474 by Estes (Relating to the comptroller's electronic funds transfer system and the use of electronic paycards.), As Introduced  

TO: Honorable Steve Ogden, Chair, Senate Committee on Finance
FROM: John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: SB474 by Estes (Relating to the comptroller's electronic funds transfer system and the use of electronic paycards.), As Introduced

 Honorable Steve Ogden, Chair, Senate Committee on Finance 

 Honorable Steve Ogden, Chair, Senate Committee on Finance 

 John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board

 John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board

SB474 by Estes (Relating to the comptroller's electronic funds transfer system and the use of electronic paycards.), As Introduced

SB474 by Estes (Relating to the comptroller's electronic funds transfer system and the use of electronic paycards.), As Introduced



No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.



The bill would implement the recommendation in the report, "Eliminate Warrants by Using Direct Deposit or Electronic Pay Cards for State Payments" in the Legislative Budget Board's Government Effectiveness and Efficiency Report submitted to the Eighty-first Texas Legislature, 2009.  The bill would amend the Government Code to allow the comptroller to issue salary, travel expense reimbursements, and annuitant payments on electronic paycards as an alternative to electronic funds transfers. As a result, the comptroller reports that state warrants for these payment types would, in almost all cases, no longer be produced.  The bill would repeal Section 403.016(h) of the Code, which provides criteria for persons or other state agencies to request payments be made with a state warrant. This bill would require the comptroller to contract, by competitive bid, with one or more qualified vendors of electronic paycard services. This bill would take effect January 1, 2010.  The comptroller was unable to quantify the administrative savings related to a reduction in the number of warrants issued. However, it is expected that comptroller staff whose sole responsibility is the processing of warrants would be eliminated or reduced, resulting in savings. The extent of the savings cannot be determined until the terms of a contract with a vendor are established and full implementation is achieved.

The bill would implement the recommendation in the report, "Eliminate Warrants by Using Direct Deposit or Electronic Pay Cards for State Payments" in the Legislative Budget Board's Government Effectiveness and Efficiency Report submitted to the Eighty-first Texas Legislature, 2009. 

The bill would amend the Government Code to allow the comptroller to issue salary, travel expense reimbursements, and annuitant payments on electronic paycards as an alternative to electronic funds transfers. As a result, the comptroller reports that state warrants for these payment types would, in almost all cases, no longer be produced. 

The bill would repeal Section 403.016(h) of the Code, which provides criteria for persons or other state agencies to request payments be made with a state warrant.

This bill would require the comptroller to contract, by competitive bid, with one or more qualified vendors of electronic paycard services.

This bill would take effect January 1, 2010. 

The comptroller was unable to quantify the administrative savings related to a reduction in the number of warrants issued. However, it is expected that comptroller staff whose sole responsibility is the processing of warrants would be eliminated or reduced, resulting in savings. The extent of the savings cannot be determined until the terms of a contract with a vendor are established and full implementation is achieved.

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies: 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts

304 Comptroller of Public Accounts

LBB Staff: JOB, YD, MN, JI

 JOB, YD, MN, JI