LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                          Austin, Texas

                           FISCAL NOTE
                       74th Regular Session

                          April 17, 1995



 TO:     Honorable Bob Hunter, Chair            IN RE: Committee Substitute
         Committee on State, Federal, &         for
               International Relations                         Senate Bill
         House of Representatives               No. 365
         Austin, Texas








FROM: John Keel, Director

In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on Senate Bill No.
365 (relating to the continuation and functions of the Texas
Historical Commission and to the abolition of the Antiquities
Committee and the transfer of the committee's function to the
commission) 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 continue the Texas Historical Commission and make
revisions to the enabling statute.  Significant revisions include
abolishing the Antiquities Committee, transferring administration
of the Antiquities Code of Texas to the Texas Historical
Commission, and authorizing local property tax exemptions for
privately owned archeological sites.

The amount recommended for the administration of this agency in
the General Appropriation Act, as introduced, (FY96 = $4,132,691;
FY97 = $3,919,192 ) would be contingent upon passage of SB 365 or
similar legislation.  The appropriations would be financed from
General Revenue, Federal Funds, Appropriated Receipts, and
Interagency Contracts and would provide for approximately 89
employees.

The bill would dedicate the balances and revenues in the Texas
Preservation Trust Fund Account 664, a consolidated account in    




the General Revenue Fund, which is scheduled to lose its revenue
dedication at the end of FY 1995.   Although this provision would 
dedicate a revenue source in the state treasury, based on the
amount of revenue that has been received by the fund, it would
not have a significant fiscal impact.  The bill would also result
in a small savings to the state due to the elimination of direct
costs for the Antiquities Committee, but the amount would not be
significant.

The provision of the bill authorizing local taxing authorities to
provide property tax exemptions for privately owned archeological
sites could result in a revenue loss to local governments if they
choose to provide such exemptions. Although there would not be a
direct revenue impact to the state, the Comptroller indicates
that a reduction in local property taxable values could affect
district property wealth, which could impact state funding for
public education.  However, the fiscal impact of this provision
cannot be determined because it is not known whether or how many
local units of government would choose to offer the exemption.







No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

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


Source:   Comptroller of Public Accounts, Historical Commission, 
                          Sunset Advisory Commission
          LBB Staff: JK, KW, RR