FISCAL NOTE

Date Requested: January 23, 2015
Time Requested: 10:41 AM
Agency: Ethics Commission
CBD Number: Version: Bill Number: Resolution Number:
1945 Introduced HB2023
CBD Subject: Professions and Occupations


FUND(S):



Sources of Revenue:

General Fund

Legislation creates:

Neither Program nor Fund



Fiscal Note Summary


Effect this measure will have on costs and revenues of state government.


HB 2023 would require the Secretary of State to post each registered lobbyists’ activity/spending reports on its website (even though the Ethics Commission handles all lobbyist-related activities, including registration, spending/activity reports and training.) As of Feb. 6, 2015, there are 383 registered lobbyists, and more are expected to register during the current Legislative session. Each lobbyist must file three spending/activity reports a year regardless of whether he/she has conducted any lobbying activity. Using these figures, 1,149 reports will be generated annually. If the reports are to be placed on the Secretary of State’s website, the Ethics Commission would be required to scan all such reports and to email them to the Secretary of State. The current Ethics Commission staff cannot perform this work in light of its statutory responsibilities and workload. (Only one staff member handles all lobbyist-related work, and she also is the receptionist and the procurement officer. The Ethics Commission has only one other clerical employee, and she has more than a full workload with her current duties.) Therefore, a part-time clerical employee would need to be hired at a cost of approximately $10,000 per year. If the bill is modified to require the reports to be placed on the Ethics Commission’s website, the staff time requirements would increase because the reports would need to be downloaded to the website. In that event, the anticipated cost of a part-time employee would be approximately $15,000 per year.



Fiscal Note Detail


Effect of Proposal Fiscal Year
2015
Increase/Decrease
(use"-")
2016
Increase/Decrease
(use"-")
Fiscal Year
(Upon Full
Implementation)
1. Estmated Total Cost 0 0 0
Personal Services 10,000 10,000 10,000
Current Expenses 0 0 0
Repairs and Alterations 0 0 0
Assets 0 0 0
Other 0 0 0
2. Estimated Total Revenues 0 0 0


Explanation of above estimates (including long-range effect):






Memorandum


(I did not receive the emailed request for a Fiscal Note until Friday, Feb. 9, 2015, at 10:41 a.m.)



    Person submitting Fiscal Note: Rebecca L. Stepto
    Email Address: Rebecca.L.Stepto@wv.gov