LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                                   Austin, Texas
         
                                   FISCAL NOTE
                               75th Regular Session
         
                                  April 7, 1997
         
         
      TO: Honorable Chris Harris, Chair            IN RE:  Senate Bill No. 984
          Committee on Administration                              By: Gallegos
          Senate
          Austin, Texas
         
         
         
         
         FROM:  John Keel, Director    
         
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on SB984 ( Relating 
to the preservation, operation, and maintenance of historical 
resources and the powers and duties of the Texas Historical 
Commission.) this office has detemined the following:
         
         Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by SB984-As Introduced
         
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 transfer control 
and management of the State Cemetery and other burial grounds 
from the General Services Commission to the Historical Commission. 
 The bill would also require that the Preservation Board consult 
with the Historical Commission on matters related to historic 
preservation.

The bill would amend Section 442.005 of the 
Government Code to allow the Historical Commission to (1) provide 
loans for the preservation of historic structures; (2) enter 
into contracts with federal or local government agencies; (3) 
accept donations of services to carry out its purposes; (3) 
participate in the establishment and operation of an affiliated 
non-profit organization and contract with the organization to 
perform any of its duties.  The bill would also amend Section 
442.0086 of the Government Code, relating to the military sites 
program, to require the commission to preserve, interpret, and 
place monuments at historic military sites and would allow the 
commission to seek  federal assistance in carrying out duties 
related to military sites. The bill would take effect September 
1, 1997. 

METHODOLOGY
The General Services Commission has 
budgeted $282,132  and 7 FTEs in fiscal year 1997 for maintenance 
and operation of the State Cemetery.  Assuming that 1) the transfer 
would not result in significant additional costs,  2) the Historical 
Commission could maintain and operate the State Cemetery for 
the same amount of funding as the General Services Commission, 
and 3) that funds and FTEs already budgeted for the State Cemetery 
would be transferred to the Historical Commission, the transfer 
of the State Cemetery should not result in any significant additional 
costs to the state. 

There are no costs associated with the 
remaining provisions of the bill. 
          
LOCAL
No fiscal implication to units of local government is 
anticipated.
          
   Source:            Agencies:   809   Preservation Board
                                         808   Historical Commission
                                         303   General Services Commission
                                         
                      LBB Staff:   JK ,RR ,JA