LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                                   Austin, Texas
         
                                   FISCAL NOTE
                               75th Regular Session
         
                                  March 18, 1997
         
         
      TO: Honorable Tom Craddick, Chair            IN RE:  House Joint Resolution
                                                                No. 96
          Committee on Ways & Means                              By: Hamric
          House
          Austin, Texas
         
         
         
         
         FROM:  John Keel, Director    
         
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HJR96 ( Proposing 
a constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to authorize 
an ad valorem tax of five cents for each $100 of taxable property 
in rural fire prevention districts located in Harris County.) 
this office has detemined the following:
         
         Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HJR96-As Introduced
         
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated, 
other than the cost of publication.

The cost to the state 
for publication of the resolution is $71,000.
         

         
 
The joint resolution would propose a constitutional amendment 
changing the amount of ad valorem property tax the legislature 
has the power to authorize on property in rural fire prevention 
districts located in whole or in part in Harris County.  The 
joint resolution would allow the legislature to authorize an 
ad valorem property tax not to exceed five ($0.05) cents on 
the one hundred ($100) dollars valuation.

The constitutional 
amendment would take effect if approved by the voters at an 
election held November 4, 1997, and certified by the Secretary 
of State. 
          
Dependant upon passage of enabling legislation contained in 
HB2649 and if all rural fire prevention districts in Harris 
County approved the increase to the maximum allowed, additional 
local revenue would be $3.5 million.
          
   Source:            Agencies:   304   Comptroller of Public Accounts
                                         
                      LBB Staff:   JK ,RR ,BR