LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
  
                              March 5, 1999
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Eddie Lucio, Chair, Senate Committee on Border
               Affairs
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB76 by Truan (relating to requiring the Texas Natural
               Resource Conservation Commission to develop a water
               availability model for the Rio Grande), Committee Report
               1st House, Substituted
  
**************************************************************************
*  Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for    *
*  SB76, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted:  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 Net Impact:
  
          ****************************************************
          *  Fiscal Year  Probable Net Positive/(Negative)   *
          *               Impact to General Revenue Related  *
          *                             Funds                *
          *       2000                                   $0  *
          *       2001                                    0  *
          *       2002                          (1,000,000)  *
          *       2003                          (1,500,000)  *
          *       2004                            (400,000)  *
          ****************************************************
  
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
  
***************************************************************************
*Fiscal    Probable Savings/(Cost) from     Change in Number of State     *
* Year         General Revenue Fund           Employees from FY 1999      *
*                      0001                                               *
*  2000                                $0                             0.0 *
*  2001                                 0                             0.0 *
*  2002                       (1,000,000)                             0.0 *
*  2003                       (1,500,000)                             0.0 *
*  2004                         (400,000)                             0.0 *
***************************************************************************
  
Technology Impact
  
The bill would require computer modeling expertise.
  
  
Fiscal Analysis
  
The bill would require the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission
(TNRCC) to develop or obtain an updated water availability model for the
Rio Grande River by December 31, 2003.  The model would encompass water
rights granted by all jurisdictions that allocate waters of the river,
including those entities outside the state.
  
  
Methodology
  
Due to current agency workload plans for fiscal years 2000 and 2001
associated with water availability modeling required under Senate Bill 1
(75th Legislature), the TNRCC would begin the Rio Grande modeling effort
in fiscal year 2002.  The estimated costs are based on contractor
assistance in developing the model, using historical costs for modeling
similar river basins with similar numbers of water rights.
  
  
Local Government Impact
  
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   582   Natural Resource Conservation Commission
LBB Staff:         JK, DE, DM