Advocacy Glossary

Fiscal note

What does fiscal note mean?

A fiscal note is a legislature's official estimate of what a bill will cost or save the government, prepared by nonpartisan staff and attached to the bill as it moves.

Why it matters for advocates

In Congress the equivalent is a CBO score. In state legislatures, including Florida, fiscal notes often decide a bill's fate, because appropriators read the price tag before the policy.

Advocates should read the fiscal note before any meeting. If the number is wrong or misleading, correcting it becomes the ask.

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