LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE 75th Regular Session May 22, 1997 TO: Honorable Pete Patterson, Chair IN RE: Senate Bill No. 1814, Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted Committee on Agriculture & Livestock By: Duncan House Austin, Texas FROM: John Keel, Director In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on SB1814 ( Relating to modifications of the official cotton growers' boll weevil eradication program.) this office has detemined the following: Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by SB1814-Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. The bill would amend the Agriculture Code to provide the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) with additional authority and oversight responsibilities for the boll weevil eradication program. The Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation, Inc. would operate the program under the supervision of the Department. The TDA would retain the authority to recover costs to administer the program and therefore expects no net impact to the agency. The State Auditor's Office (SAO) may conduct yearly audits of the Foundation. Based on experience with similar audits, the SAO estimates that an initial audit would entail at least 700 staff hours billed at a rate of $40-45 per hour. No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated. Source: Agencies: 308 State Auditor's Office 551 Department of Agriculture LBB Staff: JK ,BB ,JH