LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE
75th Regular Session
May 5, 1997
TO: Honorable Bob Hunter, Chair IN RE: House Bill No. 2356, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
Committee on State, Federal & International Relations By: Davis
House
Austin, Texas
FROM: John Keel, Director
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB2356 ( Relating
to the administration of state-owned historical parks, structures,
and sites by the Texas Historical Commission; making a contingent
appropriation; providing penalties.) this office has detemined
the following:
Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB2356-Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
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.
Appropriations:
The bill would appropriate the following amounts:
Fiscal Year Appropriation
out of New
- GR
Dedicated -
State
Historical
Areas Account
NEW-DED
1998 $3,500,000
1999 3,500,000
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would amend sections of the Government Code and the
Parks and Wildlife Code to transfer responsibility for 15 historical
properties from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD)
to the Texas Historical Commission (THC). The bill would establish
the State Historical Areas Account as a special account in the
General Revenue Fund to receive revenues from various sources
related to operation of historic parks and sites, as specified
in the bill. Money in the account could be used by the THC
only for certain purposes related to historical parks, structures,
and sites.
The bill would require the Comptroller to transfer
$3.5 million in each fiscal year from the State Parks Account
to the new State Historical Areas Account. If the 1998-1999
General Appropriations Act does not provide an appropriation
to the THC for administration of the transferred historic properties,
the bill would appropriate $3.5 million in each year of the
biennium from the new account to the THC, and would reduce the
appropriation to the TPWD from the State Parks Account by an
equivalent amount.
On the effective date of the bill, all
powers, duties, files, equipment, property, and unobligated
and unexpended appropriations of the TPWD designated for the
administration of historic sites would be transferred to the
Historical Commission. The bill would take effect September
1, 1997.
Methodolgy
The TPWD estimates probable savings at $1,700,608 in each year,
based on current operational expenditures at the 15 sites.
The probable revenue loss to the State Parks Account is estimated
at $405,600 in each year, and is based on the total revenue
received at the 15 sites. Overall, the TPWD anticipates that
implementing the provisions of the bill will result in a loss
of $2.2 million in each year to the department. This amount
represents the total loss to the State Parks Account of $3,905,600
($3.5 million transferred out plus the estimated revenue loss
of $405,600) less estimated savings to the account ($1,700,608).
In addition, it is estimated that the transfer would result
in a reduction of approximately 57 FTEs at TPWD. An estimate
of the amount of unobligated/unexpended appropriations that
would be transferred to the Historical Commission was not available.
The new State Historical Areas Account would offset the loss
to State Parks Account, as both the $3.5 million in transferred
funds and revenues from the operation of historic properties
would be deposited to the credit of the account.
It is assumed
that the transfer of sites to the Historical Commission will
not result in significant additional costs; that the THC 's
costs to administer the sites would be equal to and not exceed
$3,905,600 in each fiscal year ( $3.5 million transferred plus
$405,600 in revenues); that the amount of revenues collected
by THC from the sites would be similar to the amounts collected
by TPWD; and that the THC could administer and operate the transferred
sites with the same number of FTEs as the TPWD.
Since the
bill involves a transfer of existing funds from one account
to another and shifts receipt/deposit of existing revenue sources
from one agency/account to another, no significant fiscal implication
to the state is anticipated. The amounts shown in the table
below reflect only these transfers, and do not reflect any new
money to the state.
The probable fiscal implications of implementing the provisions
of the bill during each of the first five years following passage
is estimated as follows:
Five Year Impact:
Fiscal Year Probable Revenue Probable Probable Revenue Probable
Gain/(Loss) from Savings/(Cost) Gain/(Loss) from Savings/(Cost)
State Parks from State Parks New - GR from New - GR
Account/ Account/ Dedicated - Dedicated- State
GR-Dedicated GR-Dedicated State Historical Historical Areas
Areas Account Account
0064 0064 NEW-DED NEW-DED
1998 ($3,905,600) $1,700,608 $3,905,600 ($3,905,600)
1998 (3,905,600) 1,700,608 3,905,600 (3,905,600)
2000 (3,905,600) 1,700,608 3,905,600 (3,905,600)
2001 (3,905,600) 1,700,608 3,905,600 (3,905,600)
2002 (3,905,600) 1,700,608 3,905,600 (3,905,600)
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
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 fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source: Agencies:
LBB Staff: JK ,TH ,JA