LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                          Austin, Texas

                           FISCAL NOTE
                       74th Regular Session

                          March 8, 1995



 TO:     Honorable Eddie Lucio, Chair           IN RE:  Senate Bill No. 810
         Subcommittee on Agriculture                    By: Lucio
         Senate
         Austin, Texas







FROM: John Keel, Director

In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on Senate Bill No.
810 (Relating to the Department of Agriculture's certification of
Texas agricultural products and production processes and the
imposition of 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 bill would allow the Department of Agriculture to establish
new product and process certification standards for agricultural
, horticultural and related products.  The bill would also allow
the department to set fees for the administration and enforcement
of the new subchapter. 

The bill would allow for civil and administrative penalties. 
Fines collected through civil penalties could be shared between
local governments and the general revenue fund.  The amount of
fines collected under the proposed legislation cannot be
determined.  Currently, only two programs, the citrus budwood
registration and the integrated pest management certification
programs are administered by the Department. 

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 Cost Out   Probable Revenue      Change in    
             Year      of  General       to the General    Number of State 
                     Revenue Fund 001   Revenue Fund 001    Employees from 
                                                               FY 1995     
                                                                           
          1996                  $6,000             $6,000                .0
          1997                   6,600              6,600                .0
                                                                           
          1998                  22,340             22,340                .4
                                                                           
          1999                  26,975             26,975                .5
          2000                  46,750             46,750               1.0
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           

       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:   Department of Agriculture
          LBB Staff: JK, JH, DF