LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE 74th Regular Session March 14, 1995 TO: Honorable Edmund Kuempel, Chair IN RE: House Bill No. 1390 Committee on State Recreational By: Saunders Resources House of Representatives Austin, Texas FROM: John Keel, Director In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on House Bill No. 1390 (Relating to requiring a quail stamp for hunting quail; providing a penalty.) this office has determined the following: The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill. The bill would require a person hunting quail to possess a quail stamp. The Parks and Wildlife Department would issue the stamp, and set the fee at $7 or more. The Department would also be permitted to issue and set an amount to be charged for a nonhunting edition of the stamp. The bill would provide that an agent who sells the stamp be permitted to retain fifty cents of the fee as a collection fee for the hunting edition, and an amount set by Parks and Wildlife for the nonhunting edition. The bill would create the Quail Stamp Account as a separate account in the General Revenue Fund. The bill would exempt the Quail Stamp Account from loss of dedication. Money in the account could only be spent for research, management and protection of quail, or acquisition, lease, and development of quail habitat. The bill would require the Parks and Wildlife Commission to establish an advisory committee to assist the commission in regulating the expenditures from the fund. A member of the advisory committee would not be entitled to compensation, but would be entitled to reimbursement for travel expenses. The bill does not establish the number of members to be appointed to the advisory committee, therefore, costs related to advisory committee travel expenses cannot be determined. The Parks and Wildlife Department would incur printing costs of approximately $25,000 per year. The probable fiscal implication of implementing the provisions of the bill during each of the first five years following passage is estimated as follows: Fiscal Probable Revenue Probable Cost Out Year Gain to the of General General Revenue Revenue Fund 001, Fund 001, Quail Quail Stamp Stamp Account Account 1996 $1,848,000 $25,000 1997 1,848,000 25,000 1998 1,848,000 25,000 1999 1,848,000 25,000 2000 1,848,000 25,000 Similar annual fiscal implications would continue as long as the provisions of the bill are in effect. No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated. Source: Comptroller of Public Accounts, Parks and Wildlife Department LBB Staff: JK, PVT, DF