LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
  
                              March 9, 1999
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Bill Ratliff, Chair, Senate Committee on Finance
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB728 by Fraser (relating to implementation of a Texas
               courthouse preservation program), As Introduced
  
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*  Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for    *
*  SB728, As Introduced:  negative impact of $(100,000,000) 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                        $(50,000,000)  *
          *       2001                         (50,000,000)  *
          *       2002                         (50,000,000)  *
          *       2003                         (50,000,000)  *
          *       2004                         (50,000,000)  *
          ****************************************************
  
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
  
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*Fiscal      Probable        Probable        Probable       Change in     *
* Year    Savings/(Cost)     Revenue      Savings/(Cost) Number of State  *
*          from General    Gain/(Loss)    from New - GR   Employees from  *
*          Revenue Fund   from New - GR     Dedicated        FY 1999      *
*              0001         Dedicated                                     *
*  2000     $(50,000,000)     $50,000,000   $(50,000,000)             3.0 *
*  2001      (50,000,000)      50,000,000    (50,000,000)             5.0 *
*  2002      (50,000,000)      50,000,000    (50,000,000)             5.0 *
*  2003      (50,000,000)      50,000,000    (50,000,000)             5.0 *
*  2004      (50,000,000)      50,000,000    (50,000,000)             5.0 *
***************************************************************************
  
Technology Impact
  
The Historical Commission would require additional computers and
associated building/design software to administer the historic
courthouse preservation program.
  
  
Fiscal Analysis
  
The bill would require the Historical Commission to administer an
historic courthouse preservation program and would authorize the
Commission to grant or loan money for the purpose of preserving and
restoring historic courthouses. The Historical Commission would be
required to adopt rules necessary to implement the historic courthouse
preservation program, and to oversee and inspect restoration projects.

The bill would create the Historic Courthouse Preservation Fund account,
a new dedicated account in the general revenue fund.

The commission would be required to appoint members to a newly-created
advisory committee, the Texas Courthouse Preservation Advisory
Committee.
  
  
Methodology
  
This estimate assumes that the Historical Commission would administer
approximately 50 courthouse projects in each year. Based on this
assumption, the Historical Commission would incur a total of
approximately $1 million in costs in each year, including : (1)
additional staff required to administer, monitor, and inspect courthouse
preservation projects (3 in fiscal 2001 @ $150,000; and 5 annually
thereafter @ $230,000); (2) contracts for professional services (e.g.,
ADA consultants) costing approximately $375,000; and (3) equipment,
travel, and other operating expenses.

Amounts awarded in grants/loans are estimated to total of $49 million in
each fiscal year.
  
  
Local Government Impact
  
It is expected that units of local government would benefit from
increased availability of grant and loan funding for courthouse
restoration/renovation projects.
  
  
Source Agencies:   
LBB Staff:         JK, BB, JH