LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                                   Austin, Texas
         
                                   FISCAL NOTE
                               75th Regular Session
         
                                  April 2, 1997
         
         
      TO: Honorable Fred M. Bosse, Chair            IN RE:  House Bill No. 1609
          Committee on Land and Resource Management                              By: Turner, Bob
          House
          Austin, Texas
         
         
         
         
         FROM:  John Keel, Director    
         
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB1609 ( Relating 
to the authority of a political subdivision to prepare and implement 
a regional habitat conservation plan or conservation agreement 
to protect federally listed endangered species.) this office 
has detemined the following:
         
         Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB1609-As Introduced
         

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
         

         
 
          
The bill would prohibit political subdivisions from entering 
into conservation agreements made between the state and federal 
government.  The bill also would prescribe requirements for 
and authority of political subdivisions to regulate wildlife 
through the development, financing, and implementation of a 
habitat conservation plan.  Political subdivisions would be 
prohibited from collecting a mitigation fee to fund a habitat 
conservation plan.  As a result, funding for a plan would have 
to provided by other sources, most likely through bonds, which 
would require a vote.  The impact to political subdivisions 
would vary, depending on the current mix of mitigation fee revenue 
and bond debt used to fund the plans.
          
   Source:            Agencies:   802   Parks and Wildlife Department
                                         
                      LBB Staff:   JK ,BB ,DM