LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                                   Austin, Texas
         
                                   FISCAL NOTE
                               75th Regular Session
         
                                  April 17, 1997
         
         
      TO: Honorable Irma Rangel, Chair            IN RE:  Senate Bill No. 274, Committee Report 2nd House, as amended
          Committee on Higher Education                              By: Lucio
          House
          Austin, Texas
         
         
         
         
         FROM:  John Keel, Director    
         
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on SB274 ( Relating 
to the operation of the University of Texas at Brownsville.) 
this office has detemined the following:
         
         Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by SB274-Committee Report 2nd House, as amended
         
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
         
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal 
basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions 
of the bill.
         
 
Fiscal Analysis

The bill would authorize The University of 
Texas at Brownsville to offer freshmen and sophomore undergraduate 
courses.  The bill would require the board of regents of the 
University of  Texas System and the Southmost Union Junior College 
District to determine the number of entering freshmen, with 
limitations until FY 2006.

Methodology

It is assumed that 
UT Brownsville will coordinate course offerings with Southmost 
College to avoid unnecessary duplication.  Therefore, students 
attending lower-division courses at UT Brownsville would have 
 attended courses at another public general academic institution 
and not Southmost College.

An increase in the number of students 
attending UT-Brownsville could create a need for additional 
buildings, capital equipment, and library materials.  However, 
these costs are eligible for support through Higher Education 
Funds, and no general revenue costs are included.

Additional 
costs may also be incurred for planning, faculty recruitment 
and program development.  Special item funding could be provide 
for these costs.
          
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government 
is anticipated.
          
   Source:            Agencies:   405   Department of Public Safety
                                         304   Comptroller of Public Accounts
                                         
                      LBB Staff:   JK ,LP ,CB ,MG ,RS