LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                                   Austin, Texas
         
                                   FISCAL NOTE
                               75th Regular Session
         
                                  March 21, 1997
         
         
      TO: Honorable Clyde Alexander, Chair            IN RE:  House Bill No. 1437
          Committee on Transportation                              By: Carter
          House
          Austin, Texas
         
         
         
         
         FROM:  John Keel, Director    
         
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB1437 ( Relating 
to the creation of an emergency telephone call box system for 
highway users in this state.) this office has detemined the 
following:
         
         Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB1437-As Introduced
         
Implementing the provisions of the bill would result in a net 
impact of $0 to General Revenue Related Funds through the biennium 
ending August 31, 1999.
         

         
 
Fiscal Analysis
 
The bill would require the Department of Transportation (TxDot) 
to establish a system of telephone emergency call boxes along 
highways in the state that are numbered U.S. highways, part 
of a national system of interstate and defense highways, or 
numbered state highways (approximately 31,600 centerline miles). 
The bill would require that, when fully implemented, the distance 
between two call boxes would be no more than two miles. The 
department would be required to implement the system by June 
1, 1998.
 
Methodolgy
 
The bill requires the department to collect a fee of $1 in addition 
to the existing registration fees for each vehicle registered 
on or after September 1, 1997.  The fee would be deposited into 
a separate account in the state highway fund for the purpose 
of designing, implementing, operating, and maintaining an emergency 
telephone call box system.

TxDot estimates that, within the 
estimated revenues available, they would install approximately 
15,400 call boxes across the state. The department assumes a 
10 year lease option with the total cost per system at $4,080 
at the end of the 10 years. Initial cost is estimated to be 
$2,800 per call box.

TxDot has estimated the cost of implementation 
and operation of the system for a six year period from fiscal 
year 1997 through fiscal year 2002 to be almost $62.0 million 
with revenues for the same period to be $76.6 million.
The probable fiscal implications of implementing the provisions 
of the bill during each of the first five years following passage 
is estimated as follows:
 
Six Year Impact:
 
Fiscal Year Probable           Probable Revenue   
            Savings/(Cost)     Gain/(Loss) from                                                           
            from State         State Highway Fund                                                         
            Highway Fund                                                                                  
            0006               0006                                                                        
       1997         ($55,727)                $0                                                      
       1997       (1,821,084)        15,009,000                                                      
       1999       (9,981,013)        15,159,000                                                      
       2000      (14,476,258)        15,310,000                                                      
       2001      (17,827,854)        15,464,000                                                      
       2002      (17,827,854)        15,618,000                                                      
 
 
         Net Impact on General Revenue Related Funds:
 
The probable fiscal implication to General Revenue related funds 
during each of the first five years is estimated as follows:
 
              Fiscal Year      Probable Net Postive/(Negative)
                               General Revenue Related Funds
                                             Funds
               1997                   $0
               1998                    0
               1999                    0
               2000                    0
               2001                    0
               2002                    0
 
Similar annual fiscal implications would continue as long as 
the provisions of the bill are in effect.
          
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government 
is anticipated.
          
   Source:            Agencies:   477   Advisory Commission on State Emergency Communications
                                         501   Department of Health
                                         405   Department of Public Safety
                                         601   Department of Transportation
                                         
                      LBB Staff:   JK ,PE ,ML