LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE 74th Regular Session May 14, 1995 TO: Honorable Senator John T. Montford, IN RE: House BillNo. 1358, Chair as engrossed Committee on Finance By: Alexander Senate Austin, Texas FROM: John Keel, Director In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on House Bill No. 1358 (Relating to the appraisal for ad valorem tax purposes of open-space land used for wildlife management.) this office has determined the following: The bill would expand the definition of "wildlife management" as applied to special use productivity valuation for ad valorem property taxes purposes. The bill would require an owner to "actively" use the land in at least three of seven specified ways to propagate a sustaining breeding, migrating, or wintering population of indigenous wild animals for human use, including food, medicine, or recreation. The bill would delete current language requiring the owner to produce a harvestable surplus of those animals. The bill would also require the Comptroller, with the assistance of the Parks and Wildlife Department or the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, to develop and distribute to each appraisal district guidelines for determining whether land qualifies as "wildlife management." There would be a revenue loss to units of local government if local implementation by appraisal districts allows additional property to qualify at a productivity value below its current taxable value. Passage of this bill could cause a reduction in school district taxable values reported to the Commissioner of Education by the Comptroller. Changes in school district property wealth could have an impact on state funding for public education. The Comptroller's office does not receive and maintain information on current and previously qualified open-space land, therefore, the fiscal implication to the State or units local government cannot be determined Source: LBB Staff: JK, BR, DF