LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                                   Austin, Texas
         
                                   FISCAL NOTE
                               75th Regular Session
         
                                  March 20, 1997
         
         
      TO: Honorable Kenneth Armbrister, Chair            IN RE:  Senate Bill No. 432
          Committee on State Affairs                              By: Lucio
          Senate
          Austin, Texas
         
         
         
         
         FROM:  John Keel, Director    
         
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on SB432 ( Relating 
to the regulation and operation of bingo.) this office has detemined 
the following:
         
         Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by SB432-As Introduced
         
Implementing the provisions of the bill would result in a net 
negative impact of $(37,748,278) to General Revenue Related 
Funds through the biennium ending August 31, 1999.
         
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 transfer charitable bingo regulation from the 
Texas Lottery Commission to the Texas Commission of Licensing 
and Regulation, effective September 1, 1997, and would apply 
to games played, sessions conducted, and prizes awarded on or 
after that date.  In addition, the bill would place responsibility 
for collection of the Bingo Rental Fee and the Bingo Winner's 
Fee with the Comptroller of Public Accounts and would change 
the payment, collection and reporting schedules for these fees. 
 The bill also modifies or places limitations on allowable prize 
amounts, bingo site rental amounts, license suspension authority 
and license fee amounts.

The bill would exempt bingo prizes 
of $250 or less from the prize winner's fee collected by the 
state which would result in reduced revenues.  The prize fee 
would be calculated at a rate of 5% of winnings above the $250 
threshold.  The bill would also reduce the authorized fee for 
a license amendment from $25 to $10 which would result in reduced 
revenues.
 
Methodolgy
 
The estimated fiscal impact of the bill is based on historical 
and projected data for bingo revenues as provided in the 1998-99 
Biennial Revenue Estimate (BRE).  The revenue loss due to exempting 
the first $250 of each bingo prize from the bingo prize fee 
is approximately $18,486,221 per year. Adjustments to the BRE 
were also made to account for the reduction in bingo sessions 
by licensed operators and for the $150 reduction in the maximum 
lessor rent charged per bingo session.  Revenue effects from 
reporting period changes were also considered. The comptroller 
would also require additional staff, equipment, and contract 
programmers to handle the increased workload for processing 
activities and taxpayer services, and for automated system enhancements. 

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           Change in Number   
            Gain/(Loss) from   Gain/(Loss) from   Savings/(Cost)     of State                             
            General Revenue    General Revenue    from General       Employees from                       
            Fund: 
State      Fund:
Local       Revenue Fund:      FY 1997                              
            Share              Government Share   Administrative                                          
                                                  Cost                                                    
            0001               0001               0001                                                     
       1998      ($8,215,000)      ($7,531,000)        ($616,968)               3.0                  
       1998      (11,037,000)      (10,198,000)         (150,310)               4.0                  
       2000      (11,386,000)      (10,453,000)         (150,423)               4.0                  
       2001      (11,638,000)      (10,699,000)         (146,943)               4.0                  
       2002      (11,889,000)      (10,946,000)         (154,541)               4.0                  
 
 
         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        ($16,362,968)
               1999         (21,385,310)
               2000         (21,989,423)
               2001         (22,483,943)
               2002         (22,989,541)
 
Similar annual fiscal implications would continue as long as 
the provisions of the bill are in effect.
          
The fiscal implication to units of local government is included 
in the table above.
          
   Source:            Agencies:   103   Legislative Council
                                         304   Comptroller of Public Accounts
                                         362   Texas Lottery Commission
                                         452   Department of Licensing and Regulation
                                         
                      LBB Staff:   JK ,JD ,PH