LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE
75th Regular Session
May 1, 1997
TO: Honorable David Counts, Chair IN RE: House Bill No. 3387, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
Committee on Natural Resources By: Gallego
House
Austin, Texas
FROM: John Keel, Director
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB3387 ( Relating
to the duties and operations of a watermaster's office, reimbursement
of the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission for the
compensation and necessary expenses of a watermaster's office,
and creation of the watermaster fund.) this office has detemined
the following:
Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB3387-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
-
Watermaster
Fund
NEW-OTH
1998 $861,000
1999 861,000
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would create a special Watermaster Fund fund in the
state treasury and would appropriate receipts of the fund without
further legislative action. The Texas Natural Resource Conservation
Commission (TNRCC) would be authorized to manage the fund.
Uses of the fund would include a transfer of up to 10 percent
of the approved annual budget to the General Revenue Fund; this
amount would be appropriated to the TNRCC for indirect administrative
costs.
The bill would create a watermaster advisory committee
whose duties would include review and comment on the annual
budget of the watermaster operations. Committee members would
not be eligible for reimbursement of costs incurred as a result
of their service on the committee.
Methodolgy
The new Watermaster Fund would consist of water use permit fees
that are currently deposited in the General Revenue-Dedicated
Water Rights Administration account. According to the Comptroller's
1998-99 Biennial Revenue Estimate, revenues to the fund are
expected to be $861,000 annually.
The bill would allow
TNRCC to use up to $86,100 to defray indirect costs associated
with administering the watermaster program. The TNRCC anticipates
no change in the total cost of the watermaster program to result
from implementing the provisions of this bill.
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)
Water Rights from Water New - from New -
Administration Rights Watermaster Fund Watermaster Fund
Account/ Administration
GR-Dedicated Account/
GR-Dedicated
0158 0158 NEW-OTH NEW-OTH
1998 ($861,000) $861,000 $861,000 ($861,000)
1998 (861,000) 861,000 861,000 (861,000)
2000 (861,000) 861,000 861,000 (861,000)
2001 (861,000) 861,000 861,000 (861,000)
2002 (861,000) 861,000 861,000 (861,000)
Fiscal Year Probable Revenue Probable
Gain/(Loss) from Savings/(Cost)
General Revenue from General
Fund Revenue Fund
0001 0001
1998 $86,100 ($86,100)
1999 86,100 (86,100)
2000 86,100 (86,100)
2001 86,100 (86,100)
2002 86,100 (86,100)
Net Impact on General Revenue Related Funds:
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 ,BB ,NT