LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
  
                              March 27, 1999
  
  
          TO:  Honorable David Swinford, Chair, House Committee on
               Agriculture & Livestock
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB3417 by Counts (Relating to transfer of the Office of
               Rural Affairs to the Department of Agriculture.), 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 Section 481.0067, Government Code, to Chapter 12,
Texas Agricultural Code.  No later than January 1, 2000, the TDA would
establish and maintain the Office of Rural Affairs which, prior to this
legislation and under current law, is part of the Texas Department of
Economic Development (TDED).

Methodology

There would be no significant fiscal impact to the state due to moving
the Office of Rural Affairs to TDA. Under the bill, the TDA would
receive all appropriations, assets, and FTEs to facilitate this transfer
from TDED to TDA.
  
Local Government Impact
  
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   
LBB Staff:         JK, DE, TT