LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
  
                              March 17, 1999
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Tom Haywood, Chair, Senate Committee on
               Agriculture
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB631 by Duncan (Relating to modifications of the
               official cotton growers' boll weevil eradication
               program.), As Introduced
  
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*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.        *
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Fiscal Analysis

The bill provides the Commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture
(TDA) with authority to audit or inspect the financial records of the
Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation (TBWEF) whenever deemed
necessary.  The bill also allows the commissioner to develop a compliance
program for the collection of assessments owed by producers in active
zones to finance boll weevil eradication efforts.

The bill would require that the TDA adopt rules and administer a
quarantine program for boll weevil or pink bollworm control to prevent
infestation of eradicated areas.

Methodology

TDA estimates that 100 inspectors of the department statewide would
conduct enforcement investigations 10% of the time for 4 months per year,
which would equate to 3.3 FTEs.  It was also estimated that there would
be a need for 0.5 FTEs to process enforcement actions and a need to
purchase three vehicles in fiscal year 2000 to facilitate travel for
enforcement purposes as required by the bill.

Although the TDA would need to develop a communication system with the
TBWEF to ensure timely reporting of payment of growers, there would be no
significant technological impact on the TDA as a result of the bill.

Total costs for the program would come from appropriated receipts and
would include approximately $221,000 in fiscal year 2000 and $154,300
for fiscal years 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004; and would include a need
for an additional four FTEs (which would be above the existing TDA FTE
cap).  TDA indicated that the costs of these programs would be
reimbursed by the TBWEF, with the resulting net cost to the state being
$0.00.
  
Local Government Impact
  
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   
LBB Staff:         JK, DE, TT