LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE, 87TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION May 3, 2021 TO: Honorable Briscoe Cain, Chair, House Committee on Elections FROM: Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE: HB4459 by Swanson (relating to voting system equipment; creating a criminal offense.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. The bill would amend the Election Code as it relates to voting system equipment. Among other provisions, the bill would prohibit voting systems ballots from being arranged in a manner that allows a political party's candidates to be selected in one motion or gesture and would make it a state jail felony to violate that prohibition. This analysis assumes that any related costs could be absorbed using existing resources and that the provisions of the bill would not result in a significant impact on the demand for state correctional resources. Local Government ImpactHays County anticipates a fiscal impact of $100,000 if the county is required to replace its electronic poll books. Fort Bend County does not anticipate a fiscal impact, but the county had planned to move to cloud storage of voter registration data to provide redundancy and eliminate the need to upgrade and maintain servers; the bill would prohibit that. Tarrant County anticipates a fiscal impact of $1 million in the event that the county is required to replace its electronic poll books. Williamson County anticipates a $400,000 fiscal impact. Brazoria County does not anticipate a fiscal impact. Source Agencies: b > td > 212 Office of Court Admin, 307 Secretary of State LBB Staff: b > td > JMc, SLE, CMA, DPE
LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 87TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
May 3, 2021
TO: Honorable Briscoe Cain, Chair, House Committee on Elections FROM: Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE: HB4459 by Swanson (relating to voting system equipment; creating a criminal offense.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
TO: Honorable Briscoe Cain, Chair, House Committee on Elections
FROM: Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: HB4459 by Swanson (relating to voting system equipment; creating a criminal offense.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
Honorable Briscoe Cain, Chair, House Committee on Elections
Honorable Briscoe Cain, Chair, House Committee on Elections
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
HB4459 by Swanson (relating to voting system equipment; creating a criminal offense.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
HB4459 by Swanson (relating to voting system equipment; creating a criminal offense.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Election Code as it relates to voting system equipment. Among other provisions, the bill would prohibit voting systems ballots from being arranged in a manner that allows a political party's candidates to be selected in one motion or gesture and would make it a state jail felony to violate that prohibition. This analysis assumes that any related costs could be absorbed using existing resources and that the provisions of the bill would not result in a significant impact on the demand for state correctional resources.
Local Government Impact
Hays County anticipates a fiscal impact of $100,000 if the county is required to replace its electronic poll books. Fort Bend County does not anticipate a fiscal impact, but the county had planned to move to cloud storage of voter registration data to provide redundancy and eliminate the need to upgrade and maintain servers; the bill would prohibit that. Tarrant County anticipates a fiscal impact of $1 million in the event that the county is required to replace its electronic poll books. Williamson County anticipates a $400,000 fiscal impact. Brazoria County does not anticipate a fiscal impact.
Source Agencies: b > td > 212 Office of Court Admin, 307 Secretary of State
212 Office of Court Admin, 307 Secretary of State
LBB Staff: b > td > JMc, SLE, CMA, DPE
JMc, SLE, CMA, DPE