LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                          Austin, Texas

                           FISCAL NOTE
                       74th Regular Session

                          April 2, 1995



 TO:     Honorable Steve Holzheauser, Chair     IN RE:  House Bill No. 2039
         Committee on Energy Resources                  By: Cook
         House of Representatives
         Austin, Texas






FROM: John Keel, Director

In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on House Bill No.
2039 (Relating to plugging notices of the railroad commission.)
this office has determined the following:

The bill would amend Section 89.043 of the Natural Resources Code
to clarify existing law relating to the process for filing a
certified notice  to an operator in state-funded well pluggings
and spill cleanups. Currently, the Railroad Commission may be
charged a fee by the county in which the well or spill is located
for the notice filing or recording.  Under this bill, receipt of
the notice by the county would not need to be acknowledged and
the commission would not be charged a fee by the county. This
could result in an estimated savings to the Oil Field Cleanup
Receipts of  $10,000 annually.  To the extent that the commission
is currently paying this fee to counties that require it, there
would be a similar,  offsetting loss to counties.


No significant fiscal implication to the State or units of local
government is anticipated.




Source:   Railroad Commission
          LBB Staff: JK, KW, DF