LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE
74th Regular Session
April 21, 1995
TO: Honorable Robert M. Saunders, Chair IN RE: House BillNo. 1798,
Committee on Land and Resource as amended
Management By: McCoulskey
House of Representatives
Austin, Texas
FROM: John Keel, Director
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on House Bill No.
1798 (relating to the creation of a panel with authority to
approve the release of the state's interest in land in certain
circumstances) this office has determined the following:
The bill creates a three member panel, consisting of the Attorney
General, the Comptroller of Public Accounts, and the Commissioner
of the General Land Office, to issue a patent releasing the
state's surface and mineral interest in land if the patent
applicant meets certain conditions. The bill limits the panel's
authority by excluding certain lands from the application of the
bill's provisions. The bill adds new sections to Chapter 11 of
the Natural Resources Code defining the process by which
applications are made and reviewed, specifying the conditions an
applicant must meet and establishing the basis on which the panel
would consider patent applications. The bill takes effect only if
a constitutional amendment is approved granting the legislature
the authority to cure certain land titles by the issuance of
patents under certain conditions.
Because it is not possible to estimate the number of tracts of
land made eligible by this bill that would be claimed in the
future, the revenue loss to the state cannot be determined.
However, it is estimated that the number of affected tracts would
be few .
The fiscal implication to the State cannot be determined.
No fiscal implication to units of local government is
anticipated.
Source: LBB Staff: JK, CT, DF