LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE
75th Regular Session
April 15, 1997
TO: Honorable Bob Hunter, Chair IN RE: House Bill No. 2356
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-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.
Appropriations:
The bill would appropriate the following amounts:
Fiscal Year Appropriation out
of New - GR
Dedicated -
Historical
Parks,
Structures, and
Sites 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 26 historical
properties from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD)
to the Texas Historical Commission (THC). The bill would establish
the State Historical Areas Fund as a special fund in the state
treasury to receive revenues from various sources specified
in the bill, including revenues from (1) grants or the operation
of concessions in state historical parks or sites, (2) publications
on state historical parks and sites, (3) entrance and use fees,
(4) gifts, grants, and donations, (5) lodging or campsite reservation
fees, (6) lease of grazing or farming rights, and (6) fines
or penalties from rules violations. Money in the fund could
be used by the THC only for certain purposes related to historical
parks and sites.
The bill would require the Comptroller
to transfer $3.5 million in each fiscal year from the State
Parks account to a new Historical Parks, Structures, and Sites
account in the general revenue fund. Funds in the account
could be used by the THC only for the administration of historical
parks and sites.
If the 1998-99 General Appropriation Act
does not provide an appropriation to the THC, the bill would
appropriate $3.5 million in each year of the biennium to the
THC from the new account , and would reduce the appropriation
to 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.
The bill would transfer
$3.5 million in each fiscal year from the State Parks account
to a new Historical Parks, Structures, and Sites account, and
would appropriate $3.5 million in each year of the biennium
from the account to the Historical Commission if an appropriation
for administration of historical parks and sites is not included
in the 1998-199 General Appropriations Act. The appropriation
to the Parks and Wildlife Department from the State Parks account
would be reduced by and equivalent amount in each year of the
biennium.
In addition to the amounts identified above,
any unobligated and unexpended appropriations of the TPWD designated
for historical sites would also be subject to transfer to the
Historical Commission. The bill also provides that revenues
received by the THC from operation of historic parks and structures
be deposited to the credit of the new State Historical Areas
fund.
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.
Methodolgy
This fiscal note assumes (1) that the transfer of powers, duties,
records, equipment, property and other items from the Parks
and Wildlife Department to the Historical Commission would not
result in significant additional costs; (2) that any unexpended
/unobligated appropriations at the Parks and Wildlife Department
related to historical sites would be transferred to the Historical
Commission, (3) that costs to the Historical Commission for
administration of state historical parks and sites would be
equal to and not exceed $4.4 million in each year ($3.5 million
transferred in each year plus $905,000 in revenues received
from the operation of historical sites); (4) that the Historical
Commission could administer historical parks and sites with
the same number of FTEs as previously required by the Parks
and Wildlife Department; and (5) that the amount of revenue
received by the Historical Commission from operation of historic
parks and sites would be similar to amounts collected by the
Parks and Wildlife Department.
The Parks and Wildlife Department
has indicated that current operational expenditures at the 26
historical sites are $3,114,200 in each year. This amount includes
revenues received from the operation of the 26 historical sites,
which are estimated at $905,000 per year.
The TPWD estimates
that implementing the provision of this bill would result in
a loss of approximately $1.3 million each year. This amount
represents the cost to the State Parks account ($3.5 million
transferred out) and anticipated revenue loss from the account
($905,000) less projected savings ($3.1 million). In addition,
the TPWD estimates that the transfer would result in a reduction
of approximately 100 FTEs. An estimate of the amount of unobligated/unexpended
appropriations that would be transferred to the Historical Commission
was not available.
Other than amounts specified by the bill,
the Historical Commission did not estimate any additional costs
associated with the transfer of sites from the department.
**Amounts shown in the table below are intended to show
only the transfer of existing funds and revenues from one account
to another. These amounts 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 Revenue Probable Probable Revenue
Gain/(Loss) from Gain/(Loss) from Savings/(Cost) Gain/(Loss) from
State Parks State Parks from State Parks New - GR
Account/ Account/ Account/ Dedicated -
GR-Dedicated GR-Dedicated GR-Dedicated Historical
Sites,
Structures, and
Sites Account
0064 0064 0064 NEW-DED
1998 ($3,500,000) ($905,000) $3,114,200 $3,500,000
1998 (3,500,000) (905,000) 3,114,200 3,500,000
2000 (3,500,000) (905,000) 3,114,200 3,500,000
2001 (3,500,000) (905,000) 3,114,200 3,500,000
2002 (3,500,000) (905,000) 3,114,200 3,500,000
Fiscal Year Probable Probable Revenue Probable
Savings/(Cost) Gain/(Loss) to Savings/(Cost)
from New - GR New - GR from New - GR
Dedicated - Dedicated- Dedicated -
Historical Historical Areas Historical Areas
Parks, Fund Fund
Structures, and
Sites Account
NEW-DED NEW-DED NEW-DED
1998 ($3,500,000) $905,000 ($905,000)
1999 (3,500,000) 905,000 (905,000)
2000 (3,500,000) 905,000 (905,000)
2001 (3,500,000) 905,000 (905,000)
2002 (3,500,000) 905,000 (905,000)
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
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