LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                          Austin, Texas

                           FISCAL NOTE
                       74th Regular Session

                          April 3, 1995



 TO:     Honorable Rene O. Oliveira, Chair      IN RE:  House Bill No. 2065
         Committee on Economic Development              By: Oliveira
         House of Representatives
         Austin, Texas







FROM: John Keel, Director

In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on House Bill No.
2065 (relating to enterprise zones) 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 the Department of Commerce to prepare a
cost-benefit analysis of the enterprise zone program on or before
December 1 of each even-numbered year.  The bill would require
the State Auditor's office to submit the cost-benefit analysis
and comments to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the
speaker of the House of Representatives. 

The bill would require the Office of the Attorney General to
certify that an enterprise zone area is an area that has suffered
from substantial economic hardship caused by significant and
repeated criminal activity committed by gang members.

The bill would limit the number of businesses that may be
designated enterprise projects to 65 during any biennium.

The Sales Tax Chapter of the Tax Code would be amended to allow
an eligible enterprise project a refund of state sales taxes paid
on purchases of labor for remodeling, rehabilitating, or
constructing a structure; and electricity and natural gas.

The portion of the code which provides for the rebate, refund, or    




payment of 100 percent of state sales and use taxes and 100 
percent of state hotel occupancy taxes paid by a qualified hotel
project would be repealed.  The bill would eliminate references
to qualified hotel projects in the Texas Enterprise Zone Act.

An enterprise project designated under Chapter 2303, Government
Code, after August 31, 1995 would not be eligible to receive a
state sales tax refund or a reduction in state franchise taxes
before September 1, 1997.

Provisions of the bill affecting sales and used tax refunds would
have no significant fiscal implication to the state.  Such
refunds have already been incorporated into the Comptroller's
Biennial Revenue Estimate.

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       Probable Cost to      Change in    
             Year    Administrative        the State      Number of State 
                          Cost            Auditor's        Employees from 
                    to the Office of     Office Out of        FY 1995     
                          the           General Revenue                   
                    Attorney General       Fund 001                       
                          Out                                             
                       of General                                         
                        Revenue                                           
                        Fund 001                                          
                                                                          
          1996               $139,118            $12,375               2.0
          1997                133,812                                  2.0
                                                                          
          1998                133,812             12,375               2.0
                                                                          
          1999                133,812                                  2.0
          2000                133,812             12,375               2.0
                                                                          
                                                                          
                                                                          
       Similar annual fiscal implications would continue as long as the
provisions of the bill are in effect.

The fiscal implication to units of local government cannot be
determined.


Source:   Comptroller of Public Accounts, Department of Commerce,
                         Office of the Attorney General, State
Auditor's Office    




          LBB Staff: JK, VS, RR