LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
  
                              April 5, 1999
  
  
          TO:  Honorable David Counts, Chair, House Committee on Natural
               Resources
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB 2561 by Gray (Relating to the implementation and
               financing of approved management plans for designated
               estuaries of national significance in the state.), As
               Introduced
  
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*  Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for    *
*  HB2561, As Introduced:  negative impact of $(5,265,952) 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                         $(2,632,976)  *
          *       2001                          (2,632,976)  *
          *       2002                          (2,632,976)  *
          *       2003                          (2,632,976)  *
          *       2004                          (2,632,976)  *
          ****************************************************
  
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
  
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*Fiscal        Probable             Probable        Change in Number of  *
* Year    Savings/(Cost) from  Savings/(Cost) from State Employees from  *
*        General Revenue Fund     Federal Funds           FY 1999        *
*                0001                 0555                               *
*  2000           $(2,632,976)           $(520,000)                 15.0 *
*  2001            (2,632,976)            (520,000)                 15.0 *
*  2002            (2,632,976)            (520,000)                 15.0 *
*  2003            (2,632,976)            (520,000)                 15.0 *
*  2004            (2,632,976)            (520,000)                 15.0 *
**************************************************************************
  
Fiscal Analysis
  
The bill would designate the Texas Natural Resource Conservation
Commission (TNRCC) as the lead state agency for implementation of
approved National Estuary Programs in Galveston and Coastal Bend.  TNRCC
would be authorized to provide grant funding for implementation of these
programs.
  
  
Methodology
  
Based on experience with the Galveston program, TNRCC estimates that the
cost of the programs will total $3,152,976 per year, of which $520,000
is supported by federal funding.  The participation by other state
agencies in implementing the programs could be absorbed in each agency's
current budget.
  
  
Local Government Impact
  
Units of local government would be impacted directly.  In this case, the
Galveston Bay National Estuary Program and the Coastal Bend Bays
National Estuary Program would receive a combined total of $3,152,976
per year, which would reduce the amount of local contributions that
would be required for implementation.
  
  
Source Agencies:   
LBB Staff:         JK, DE, DM