LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE 74th Regular Session March 27, 1995 TO: Honorable Pete Patterson, Chair IN RE: House Bill No. 2245 Committee on Agriculture & Livestock By: Black House of Representatives Austin, Texas FROM: John Keel, Director In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on House Bill No. 2245 (Relating to the continuation and functions of the Texas Animal Health Commission; providing administrative and criminal penalties.) 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 Texas Animal Health Commission is subject to the provisions of the Texas Sunset Act, and unless continued in existence by the legislature, will be abolished effective September 1, 1995. The bill would continue the Texas Animal Health Commission and make several changes to the enabling statute. Some of the significant changes include authorizing the commission to charge and collect fees for services provided, requiring the registration of livestock dealers, authorizing the commission to assess administrative penalties, and standardizing exotic livestock regulation with traditional livestock. The amount set forth for the administration of this agency in the General Appropriation Bill, as introduced, (FY 96 = $11,749,679; FY 97 = $11,749,679) would be contingent upon passage of HB 2245 or similar legislation. The appropriations would be financed from the General Revenue Fund and federal funds, and would provide for approximately 264 employees. The bill authorizes the Texas Animal Health Commission to set and collect fees to recover costs associated with animal disease- control programs. However, the language of the provision is permissive and the fee levels and revenue collected cannot be estimated. The bill authorizes the Texas Animal Health Commission to register livestock dealers, as defined by commission rule, and collect a fee sufficient to recover the costs of administering the dealer registration program. Because any cost associated with this registration should be recovered by the authorized fee, no fiscal implications are anticipated. The bill also authorizes the Texas Animal Health Commission to assess administrative penalties for violations of the law or Commission rules or orders with any amounts collected deposited to the General Revenue Fund. Because this provision is permissive, the Commission's actions in assessing penalties is not known and the fiscal impact cannot be determined. The fiscal impact to the state cannot be estimated. No fiscal impact to units of local government is anticipated. Source: Sunset Advisory Commission LBB Staff: JK, JH, DF