LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
  
                            February 24, 1999
  
  
          TO:  Honorable David Counts, Chair, House Committee on Natural
               Resources
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB1283 by Counts (Relating to general permits for the
               discharge of wastewater.), As Introduced
  
**************************************************************************
*  Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for    *
*  HB1283, As Introduced:  positive impact of $0 through the biennium    *
*  ending August 31, 2001.                                               *
*                                                                        *
*  The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal      *
*  basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of    *
*  the bill.                                                             *
**************************************************************************
  
General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:
  
          ****************************************************
          *  Fiscal Year  Probable Net Positive/(Negative)   *
          *               Impact to General Revenue Related  *
          *                             Funds                *
          *       2000                                   $0  *
          *       2001                                    0  *
          *       2002                                    0  *
          *       2003                                    0  *
          *       2004                                    0  *
          ****************************************************
  
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
  
**************************************************************************
*Fiscal        Probable         Probable Revenue    Change in Number of  *
* Year    Savings/(Cost) from   Gain/(Loss) from   State Employees from  *
*            Water Quality        Water Quality           FY 1999        *
*              Account/             Account/                             *
*            GR-Dedicated         GR-Dedicated                           *
*                0153                 0153                               *
*  2000             $(708,480)             $708,480                 12.0 *
*  2001            (1,930,956)            1,930,956                 35.0 *
*  2002            (1,752,356)            1,752,356                 35.0 *
*  2003            (1,752,356)            1,752,356                 35.0 *
*  2004            (1,752,356)            1,752,356                 35.0 *
**************************************************************************
  
Technology Impact
  
Computers and software for the FTEs would cost $45,600 in fiscal year
2000 and $87,400 in fiscal year 2001.
  
  
Fiscal Analysis
  
The bill would expand the Texas Natural Resource Conservation
Commission's (TNRCC) general permitting authority for stormwater
discharges.  Currently, TNRCC is authorized to issue general permits for
stormwater discharges up to 500,000 gallons in a 24 hour period.  The
bill would eliminate the 500,000 gallon limit.

TNRCC has current statutory authority to assess a fee to cover the costs
of the general permitting program.
  
  
Methodology
  
TNRCC received delegation of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) Stormwater Permit program in September 1998.  The program
has not been funded.  Under the provisions of House Bill 1283, the cost
of implementing the NPDES stormwater program would be $708,480 in fiscal
year 2000 and $1,930,956 in fiscal year 2001.  Subsequent years would
cost $1,752,356.

The cost estimates are based on the number of permits to be addressed for
stormwater discharges and the number of full-time equivalents needed to
implement the permit process.
  
  
Local Government Impact
  
Local governments will be directly impacted by the bill.  The fee revenue
raised to cover the costs of the stormwater discharge permitting program
would be assessed on permittees, i.e., local governments.  Therefore,
the impact to local governments is $2,639,436 for the 2000-01 biennium.
  
  
Source Agencies:   
LBB Staff:         JK, DE, DM