LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                                   Austin, Texas
         
                                   FISCAL NOTE
                               75th Regular Session
         
                                  April 17, 1997
         
         
      TO: Honorable Teel Bivins, Chair            IN RE:  Senate Bill No. 963, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
          Committee on Education                              By: Shapiro
          Senate
          Austin, Texas
         
         
         
         
         FROM:  John Keel, Director    
         
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on SB963 ( Relating 
to the testing of natural gas piping systems in school district 
facilities.) this office has detemined the following:
         
         Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by SB963-Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
         
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
         

         
 
          
Fiscal implications to units of local government are described 
below.

Fiscal Analysis

The bill would require school districts 
to perform pressure tests of natural gas piping systems before 
the beginning of each odd-numbered school year.  The bill would 
require school districts to provide notice of the date and result 
of each pressure test to the company supplying natural gas to 
the district. The Railroad Commission staff would be required, 
upon request of a school district, to assist in developing procedures 
for testing.

Methodology

It is estimated that costs to 
local school districts to perform such tests would be between 
$250-500 per facility.  The Texas Education Agency estimates 
that there are 6,932 school district campuses that would be 
required to conduct the test.

Fiscal Implications

The 
estimated cost for all school districts combined to conduct 
the testing required by the bill would range between $1,733,000 
and $3,466,000 per year.  Costs to individual school districts 
would depend upon the number of facilities and current market 
rate for qualified individual to perform the tests.

Fiscal 
implications would continue as long as the provisions of the 
bill are in effect.
          
   Source:            Agencies:   701   Texas Education Agency - Administration
                                         455   Railroad Commission
                                         
                      LBB Staff:   JK ,LP ,DH