LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE
75th Regular Session
April 17, 1997
TO: Honorable J.E. "Buster" Brown, Chair IN RE: Senate Bill No. 1406, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
Committee on Natural Resources By: Lucio
Senate
Austin, Texas
FROM: John Keel, Director
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on SB1406 ( Relating
to the duties and operations of a watermaster's office, reimbursement
of the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission for the
compensation and necessary expenses of a watermaster's office,
and creation of the watermaster fund.) this office has detemined
the following:
Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by SB1406-Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
Implementing the provisions of the bill would result in a
net impact of $0 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
This bill would create a special Watermaster Fund fund in the
state treasury and would appropriate receipts of the fund without
further legislative action. The bill would authorize Texas
Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) to manage the
fund and designate uses of the fund, provisions for unexpended
balances, deposits to the fund, and would . Uses of the fund
would include a transfer of up to 10 percent of the approved
annual budget to the General Revenue Fund. This amount would
be appropriated to the TNRCC for indirect administrative costs.
The
bill would limit watermasters from undertaking activities that
relate to other TNRCC programs, except in situations of imminent
threat to public health safety or to the environment.
The
bill would create a watermaster advisory committee. Duties
would include review and comment on the annual budget of the
watermaster operations. Committee members would not be eligible
for reimbursement of costs incurred as a result of their service
on the committee.
Methodolgy
The new Watermaster Fund would consist of water use permit fees
that are currently deposited in the General Revenue--Dedicated
Water Rights Administration account. According to the Comptroller's
1998-99 Biennial Revenue Estimate, revenues to the fund are
expected to be $861,000 annually.
The bill would allow
up to $86,100 to be used by TNRCC to defray indirect costs associated
with the administration of the watermaster program. The TNRCC
anticipates no change in the total cost of the watermaster program
to result from implementing the provisions of this bill.
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 Probable Revenue Probable
Gain/(Loss) from Savings/(Cost) Gain/(Loss) from Savings/(Cost)
Water Rights from Water New - from New -
Administration Rights Watermaster Fund Watermaster Fund
Account/ Administration
GR-Dedicated Account/
GR-Dedicated
0158 0158 NEW-OTH NEW-OTH
1998 ($861,000) $861,000 $861,000 ($861,000)
1998 (861,000) 861,000 861,000 (861,000)
2000 (861,000) 861,000 861,000 (861,000)
2001 (861,000) 861,000 861,000 (861,000)
2002 (861,000) 861,000 861,000 (861,000)
Fiscal Year Probable Revenue Probable
Gain/(Loss) from Savings/(Cost)
General Revenue from General
Fund Revenue Fund
0001 0001
1998 $86,100 ($86,100)
1999 86,100 (86,100)
2000 86,100 (86,100)
2001 86,100 (86,100)
2002 86,100 (86,100)
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 $0
1999 0
2000 0
2001 0
2002 0
Similar annual fiscal implications would continue as long as
the provisions of the bill are in effect.
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source: Agencies:
LBB Staff: JK ,BB ,NT